


The Legend of Fire and Lightning

by TheStorytellerBri



Category: Phineas and Ferb
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Gen, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Originally Posted on deviantART
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-29
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-09-20 11:43:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 33,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9489671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheStorytellerBri/pseuds/TheStorytellerBri
Summary: Five years before the series, they had been chosen.  Now, their powers have finally emerged, but with their dividing lives, can they still harness the strength to save their World from destruction?





	1. Prologue

The human heart.  It is a weak, yet strong part of the body.  It keeps humans alive, functioning, both physically and mentally.

Yet, it can also be easily manipulated.  Even if one does not have a heart, if they have a strong resolve and will, they can survive without a heart.  
  
But, manipulation isn't the only thing to destroy a heart.  It can easily succumb to powerful feelings of false hope and utter despair.  Things that live inside humans, devour them from the inside out, turn them into monsters of pure evil.  
  
Hope is the only thing to keep a human from falling forever into darkness.  The light inside, even the smallest glimmer, can hold a heart steady.  
  
Such a curious thing, the human heart...  
***  
  
"...Even at the end of the world, it can still be bold and keep the human alive."  She said quietly.  She was in a large cave, the walls covered in drawings.  She stood back up from where she had been kneeling, the ancient lettering standing out.  
  
"Are you ready to go yet?"  A voice asked from outside the cave.  She turned and faced the entrance of the cave, smiling.  
  
"This might be the last time you ever see this place."  She said.  "Why are you so anxious all of a sudden?"  
  
"I just feel like we should hurry up and get moving, is all."  The voice replied.  "Come on.  We'd better get moving."  
  
"Alright.  Go ahead without me, I'll be out in a few minutes."  She said, and knelt down again.  The person outside muttered something under their breath, then walked away.  She found a sharp rock and carved something in the wall, then walked out, as well.  
  
It was a picture of a bolt of lightning, a flame, and a door, all on a blank wall on a far off side of the cave.  On the top of the door were the words, "open if you must, but beware the connections."  
***  
  
Five-year-old Phineas Flynn awoke to find himself shrouded in darkness.  He looked around, but there was no one but him.  It felt like he was underwater--his ears were clogged, making any possible sound feel muffled and far away.  He took a step forward.  
  
Suddenly, everything became bright, and he realized that he wasn't alone.  There was a girl standing a little ways away, wearing a white dress.  Her ultramarine eyes were dull and opaque, and she hadn't seemed to notice Phineas.  
  
"Hey..."  Phineas called out.  "Hello?  Can you hear me?"  
  
There was no response from the girl, so Phineas decided to walk towards her.  As soon as he took a step, however, everything was plunged into darkness once more, the girl looking at him with a terrified expression on her face.  
  
_With each step you make, you decide your fate._ A voice said inside Phineas' head.  _You have to choose.  Do you want to be in the darkness, or the light?  Whatever the girl has chosen is not important.  Your choice is.  Do you take another step, or stay here?_  
  
Phineas thought about it for a moment, then took another step forward.  Everything became light again.  
  
_You choose the light over the darkness.  Your heart is strong, but with a weak will.  It will be hard to survive this way.  Are you sure about your choice?_ The voice asked.  
  
"Yes."  Phineas said.  "My path is in the light.  I can make my will stronger.  I will survive this way."  
  
_Think with your heart, not with your mind._ The voice cautioned.  _You may think that this is your destiny, but does your heart agree?  Does this really feel right to you?_  
  
"Yes, it does.  It feels right to be on this side."  Phineas replied.  
  
_Very well, then._ The voice said.  _Your destiny has been set.  Will you follow the path you've chosen, or stray from it?  Only the true nature of your heart will decide..._  
  
A fierce wind blew through everything, pushing Phineas back.  He fell backwards, and darkness engulfed him once more...  
***  
  
Isabella stood in the midst of the flames, in shock.  There was no way out, and even if there was, she would surely be fighting Phineas for it.  Her heart shaped pendant sung and thumped wildly against her chest as she looked around desperately.  
  
A scientist struggled to crawl away, coughing on the black smoke that filled the room.  She dropped down to the floor and attempted to crawl over to him, but a large fireball blew her back.  She stood back up and faced Phineas.  
  
"Why are you doing this to all of these innocent people?"  Isabella cried out.  "They did nothing wrong!"  
  
"They did everything wrong!"  Phineas yelled at her, shaking his head.  The crown shaped pendant around his neck shook along with it.  "They made us into monsters, and innocent people died from this.  Why are you siding with them?"  
  
"Because more innocent people will die if you keep doing this!"  Isabella shouted.  There was a silence that swept over the two of them after that.  The only sound they heard was the crackling of the fire around them.  
  
After a while, Phineas turned away from her.  "Very well, then.  You can have your precious mortals, who you see as innocent, and I can have the others like me, who are truly filled with light."  He ran off through the flames and smoke.  
  
Isabella, on the other hand, stayed.  Suddenly, somebody donned in a heavy black coat with a deep hood shielding their face from view came up to her.  
  
"You poor child."  They said.  "You're so lost from the light and the dark.  You walk a strange path of in between."  
  
"What does that mean?"  Isabella asked defensively.  "If I have to fight you, I will!"  
  
The hooded figure laughed.  "Fight?  With what?  You have no power to wield in your hands.  The only thing you can use your power on is people's hearts."  
  
"Stay away from me."  Isabella sneered.  "I could kill you if I wanted to..."  
  
"Yes, you could, in your mind, but would your heart ever let that guilt slip away?"  The hooded figure asked.  Isabella gasped in surprise.  "You only thought with your mind, which is steeped in darkness.  Your heart fights it with it light and innocence.  That's why you walk between the two."  
  
Isabella was silent.  She thought about for a moment, then nodded.  
  
"So, you see how it is, then.  However, I can give you a power to wield physically, to use as a weapon."  The hooded figure went on.  
  
"What do I have to do for that power?"  Isabella demanded.  
  
"Sign a contract with me, Isabella Garcia-Shapiro."  The hooded figure replied.  "If you do, then I'll give you the power you crave, the power to stave off the darkness slowly growing with you."  
  
Isabella nodded.  "I'll do it.  I'll sign a contract with you."  
  
"Excellent."  The hooded figure said, a smile in their voice.  They extended their hand.  "Take my hand, and the contract will be signed."  
  
Isabella hesitated, then finally, slowly, took the hooded figure's hand.  At that moment, a bolt of lightning struck the air, and rain pelted down.  Pain shot through her body, and she collapsed, her energy drained.  
  
"Happy doing business with you, Isabella Garcia-Shapiro."  The hooded figure said, then opened a swirling blue and black portal and left, chuckling softly to themselves.  Sirens soon filled the air, and firefighters came to put out the fire.  Isabella was taken to the hospital, but was somehow unharmed.  
***  
  
Meanwhile, on the outskirts on Liverpool, England, a young couple ran through the downpour, lightning streaking across the sky.  Cars' headlights blinded them, but they still ran, not stopping until they reached the far off mansion.  
  
The girl went in first, then the boy.  The girl's parents ran down the stairs at the sight of them.  
  
"Oh, Kathleene, what on earth happened to you?"  The mother asked, embracing her.  She noticed the little boy in her arms.  "Who's this?"  
  
"I'd ask who the older boy is, as well."  The girl's father asked.  "He has a girl with her."  
  
"We found them on the street, sir."  The older boy said.  "The boy was unconscious, but the girl was awake.  She fell asleep on the way over here."  
  
"They're not street urchins.  Look at their clothes."  Kathleene went on, holding out the boy.  "Look at the necklaces.  It's some kind of weird insignia."  
  
"We think they might've escaped from somewhere."  The boy said, brushing some of the girl's hair out of her face.  "But, it says on the back of her dress that this institution this dress was from is in America."  
  
"Institution?"  The father grumbled.  "What kind of institution?"  
  
"From the name, it sounds like some sort of research facility."  Kathleene replied.  "It's called the Elements Project."  
  
"Well, then, I suppose we should find out who these kids are."  Kathleene's mother said.  "Come on.  Let's take them to the lab."  
  
At that moment, the girl woke up.  She looked around, confused.  
  
"Oh, you're awake."  The older boy said, gently placing her on the floor.  "Are you well enough to walk?  What's your name?"  
  
The little girl stood up, then tears started to form out the corner of her eyes.  "I...I don't know...I don't my name, I don't know anything..."  
  
"It's okay."  Kathleene said to her, kneeling down.  "We'll find out who you are.  Don't worry."  She stood back up and turned to her parents.  "Let's begin the tests on the boy now.  She's had a rough day, so let's start on her tomorrow morning."  
  
Kathleene's parents nodded, then took the boy from her and walked downstairs.  Kathleene, the little girl, and the other boy walked upstairs.  
  
"So, are your parents doctors or scientists or something?"  The boy asked.  
  
"Both."  Kathleene replied coolly.  They stopped in front a room in the front of the hallway.  "This will be your room for tonight.  Tomorrow, we run the tests on the girl, and all three of you will go home."  
  
"Um, alright."  The boy replied, surprised by her sudden change in demeanor.  "Goodnight, then."  
  
Kathleene nodded and walked away with the other girl to the far end of the hallway.  She stopped in front of two rooms across from each other.  
  
"This room right here is my room, and the one across from it is yours."  Kathleene said.  "Tomorrow, we're going to see if we can figure out who you are so you can see your parents and go home, okay?"  
  
"Okay."  The little girl said.  "Are the tests going to hurt?"  
  
"No, not at all."  Kathleene replied.  "It'll be like you're that little boy.  Fast asleep.  You won't feel anything."  
  
"Um...I won't stay asleep as long as he is, right?"  
  
"Huh?  What do you mean?"  
  
"That boy's been asleep for days and days, and hasn't woken up, no matter how loud I yell at him."  
  
"How long exactly has he been asleep?  Do you know?"  
  
"Um...seven...or eight...or nine...?  I don't remember that very clearly."  
  
"I...I see.  Well, goodnight."  
  
"Goodnight."  
  
As soon as the little girl closed the door to her room, Kathleene ran downstairs to her parents' lab.  The lab was a large, crowded space, filled with various machines and monitors.  In a metallic white pod with a transparent teal lid was the little boy, a red laser scanner sweeping across his body.  
  
"Kathleene..?  What the...?!"  Her father exclaimed in shock.  
  
"You need to stop the tests!"  Kathleene said.  "That boy's in a coma!"  
  
"I found a match on both of them."  Kathleene's mother replied.  "How long has he been in a coma for?"  
  
"Let me see those results."  Kathleene's father said.  He brought up the image on a bigger monitor.  "There's two images here, one of them from America.  It seems as if they went missing around the same time."  
  
The images were missing children posters, one from London and the other from a town called Danville.  
  
"My main concern is why on earth did they go through all the trouble?"  Kathleene's father mumbled.  "If the kidnappers were from America, like that boy thought, then why not just kidnap four American kids?  Why them?  Is there something about them that makes them targets...?"  
***  
  
The little girl woke up to find a mysterious figure in a heavy hooded black coat sitting in a chair next to her bed calmly.  
  
"Relax, my dear child."  The hooded figure said.  "I mean you no harm."  
  
"Who are you?"  She asked.  "What do you want from me?"  
  
"I'm here to give you this."  The hooded figure replied, and held up a card, with the girl's face on it.  "It's your memories.  Also, a special power.  Something that you need to quell the inner struggle you're already facing."  The girl was confused.  "You have inside your heart light.  A lot of light.  But, that leaves you weak to very bad things.  Dark things.  With this power that I have, I can make you not weak to the dark, and still be strong in the light."  
  
"Can I still have the light in my heart?"  She asked.  "Can I still have a lot of light?"  
  
"Of course you can."  The hooded figure said.  "And your memories, too.  Do you want to see what your parents would think of you if you didn't know who they were?"  
  
The little girl shook her head.  "Gimme!  I want to not be afraid of the dark, and to remember who I am!"  
  
"Good.  I'm glad you want those things."  The hooded figure said, and took her hand.  A strange sensation, like being filled up with a freezing cold liquid, went up the girl's spine.  The darkness in the room surrounded her, and she fell back onto her bed, unconscious.  The hooded figure opened a portal, and was gone.  
***  
  
Later on the next day, Kathleene noticed that both the girl's and boy's necklaces were gone.  The girl asked her about what necklace she was talking about, as she had no recollection of ever getting one.  The same was with Phineas and Isabella.


	2. Chapter 1:  Welcome to Your New Lives

Darkness.

That's what surrounded Phineas when he was aware of his surroundings.  
  
He was completely eclipsed in darkness.  
  
He took a step forward, expecting something, anything to happen.  
  
Nothing did.  
  
Phineas continued to walk in the darkness, silent.  
  
The darkness soon changed its shape into a town.  
  
Danville.  
  
The darkness was changing into Danville.  
  
But, this Danville was grey.  Blank.  Ghost-like.  
  
"This town is empty."  A young girl's voice said.  Phineas looked around.  Nobody in sight.  
  
Phineas walked around, looking for the owner of the voice.  
  
"There used to be people here, but they are now gone."  The voice continued.  "They were consumed by 'it.'  'It' was telling them to trust 'it.'  Now, this city is gone.  Eaten away by the spirit of 'it,' which can never be truly satisfied."  
  
Phineas ran down an alleyway to find a young girl standing there, reading from a small book in her hands.  Her back to Phineas, unaware.  
  
"This town is empty, so I will keep searching."  She said.  Her short brown hair blew about her softly.  "Searching for a town with people in it, one that has not been consumed by 'it.'  Searching for the one for me, and only me."  She turned a page.  "The one for me, and only me is the only one to defeat 'it.'  Not only that, but the one for me and only me... also holds onto my heart."  She turned around, her opaque eyes glued on Phineas, her voice distorted with Isabella's.  "Tell me, are you the one who took it?"  
***  
  
Phineas sat upright and gasped, holding his head in his hands.  He looked around his room, half asleep.  Ferb was still fast asleep, Perry on his bed.  He woke up and walked over to Phineas' bed, chattering.  Phineas smiled and patted the bed, which Perry knew as in invitation to come up.  
  
"I'm fine, Perry."  Phineas said, petting him softly.  He laid back down again.  "It was just a bad dream..."  
  
As Phineas drifted off to sleep, he thought about the dream, and how much darkness had surrounded him during it.  
  
"A dream filled with the stench of darkness..."  Phineas muttered, and soon, he was asleep once again.  
***  
  
The next day, Isabella walked into the backyard to find Phineas sitting underneath the tree alone, fast asleep.  She smiled at the sight of him.  
  
_He's like a cat, sleeping whenever he wants to..._   She thought, giggling softly.  
  
She walked in front of him, bent down, and said, "Now, how'd I know that you'd be sitting under this tree, snoozing?"  
  
Phineas woke up, rubbing his eyes tiredly.  "Gwah!"  He said suddenly, moving to the side.  "Hey, Isabella.  I don't sleep under here all the time..."  
  
"Oh, please, almost every time Ferb's not here, you're asleep right in this spot."  Isabella replied, laughing and sitting down next to him.  "So, besides taking a nap, what'cha doin' today?"  
  
"I don't know."  Phineas answered, putting his hands behind his head.  "Ferb's going to be gone all day since he's hanging out with Emily, then doing a few errands for Mom.  It's a shame, because we were going to finish that rocket today, so that we could go into space and everything.  That's alright, though, I guess.  It can wait."  
  
"Phineas, let's finish it together and leave, right now!"  Isabella said, looking at him, smiling.  
  
"Wait, what?"  Phineas asked.  
  
Isabella giggled.  "I'm kidding, Phineas.  You're so gullible sometimes, you know?"  
  
"Not all the time..."  Phineas said.  
  
"Ferb's changed."  Isabella said suddenly.  She looked up at the sky, her ultramarine eyes shining with a sudden look of sadness.  "He just...doesn't really seem like himself lately, you know?"  
  
"You're the one that's been changing, Isabella."  Phineas said.  "Though, maybe it's just all of us."  
  
"Perhaps."  She said.  There was a pause.  "Phineas, don't change.  I like you just how you are right now."  Isabella added.  She stood up.  "Come on, let's go the mall.  No use just sitting here being all depressing, right?"  
  
Phineas got up, as well.  "I agree.  I'll go ask Mom if it's okay."  
  
Linda was busy tossing salad in the kitchen when Phineas and Isabella walked in.  
  
"Oh, Isabella, are you and Phineas planning something today?"  She asked as she poured a little extra virgin olive oil in the salad.  "A date, maybe?"  
  
"I-It's not a date!"  Both of them exclaimed at the same time.  Linda laughed.  
  
"That's the exact same reaction Ferb and Emily had."  She said.  "So, where are two you headed?"  
  
"The mall."  Phineas said.  "Is that all right with you?"  
  
"Sure.  You're taking the bus, right?  Do you need fare, or are you going to use your school passes?  Oh, I almost forgot, Candace and Jeremy are there on a date, so if you see them, don't bother them, okay?"  Linda said hurriedly, looking for her purse.  "Do you need any money?"  
  
"No, we both have about, what twenty-five dollars each?"  Isabella said.  Phineas agreed.  "Yeah, so we'll be fine.  Thanks for offering, though!"  
  
"Okay, have fun, and be back by sundown, alright?"  Linda called out as they left.  "You know how I am about having you out after dark on your own."  
  
"Okay, we'll be back by then!"  Phineas shouted back.  "Hey, Isabella, first to tag the bus stop sign wins!"  
  
"You're on!"  Isabella replied, and they took off, laughing.  At first, it was Isabella in the lead, then Phineas gained the advantage in the corner.  Isabella caught up downhill, and it was neck and neck afterwards.  
  
As they turned the second corner, Isabella noticed out of the corner of her eye the bus, slowly lumbering along.  
  
"Look's like our race has gained a new competitor!"  Isabella said, running faster.  
  
A few yards ahead was the bus stop sign.  Phineas and Isabella reached out their hands to tag it, and they grabbed it at the same time, then ran around it, showing their school passes to the bus driver and sitting down, laughing softly.  
  
"Why can't we do stuff like that more often?"  Isabella asked, leaning her head against the window.  She watched the scenery change from the suburbs to downtown.  
  
"Act like normal kids, you mean?"  Phineas asked.  "I don't know.  We just try so hard to seize the day in every way we can that we just...forget, I guess.  Forget we're kids, and act like something we're not.  All just to make the day more fun and memorable."  
  
"I'm sorry."  Isabella suddenly said.  The bus stopped, and more people got on.  "I'm trying to change you, aren't I?  After I said that you were fine just the way you were, too..."  
  
"No, it's alright."  Phineas said.  "I know what you mean."  The bus started moving again.  "You're so filled with light that you trick yourself into a feeling of naivety and poor self-esteem.  Because of that, you try to act as kind as you can be."  
  
"Oh?"  Isabella asked.  "So, what are you filled with?"  
  
"Light."  Phineas replied, looking out the window.  He reached up and pulled the cord to have the bus stop.  "Light...and dark."  
***  
"So, we've arrived, have we?"  Gaia said, looking out the window.  She turned towards the young man leaning against the window across from her.  "Aeor, have you picked up their scents?"  
  
Aeor looked up, his long dark blue hair flopping into his misty pale sky blue eyes.  "We've been following that same scent for five years, Major.  It has all but faded by now."  
  
"You mean that we've just been following some stale scents for all these years, then?"  Another officer asked.  His short dark chestnut hair was in a bun and kept out of his face.  "What good are you to us, then?"  
  
"He's important because he can track down the scents better than we can, and you know it, Le."  A young woman said, tying her navy blue hair up in a ponytail.  "Besides, he's the only one who can talk to the songbird.  That should really be the only thing to keep him alive, you know."  
  
"Andressa's right, you know."  Gaia said.  "The Elements are useless without the songbird's power.  Speaking of which, Andressa, how is the songbird doing?  Is she finally doing as we asked?"  
  
"Yes, she's finally started."  Andressa said, sighing.  "Seriously, it's like pulling teeth with her to get her to follow orders.  She says that the first signs of corruption should appear soon."  
  
"Excellent."  Gaia said.  "Now, if only we knew where they were...  Aeor, keep searching for those scents.  We need to find them, and soon."  
***  
  
"So, they're around here, right?"  Misti asked.  She looked at the readings on the monitors again.  "I'm not seeing them on these readings.  That might be just because their powers are still dormant, though.  Vince, are you ready for the power starts?"  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be."  Vince said.  "Help me calibrate them to hit all of them at once."  
  
"Alright.  I'll give you the signal when we're ready."  Misti said, laying down the four files she was looking at.  "Finally, we'll be able to achieve this goal at long last...we have to do this before they show up.  If they get here while we're setting this up, it's all over."  
  
"I'm quite aware of that."  Vince said.  "Now, then, let's get started..."  
***  
Phineas and Isabella walked around the food court, silent.  
  
"Come on, let's go and look at some other stores for a bit."  Isabella said, practically pulling Phineas away.  "We can come back to the food court later."  
  
"No, it's not that...it's..."  Phineas said, trailing off.  "Darkness...the scent of darkness is everywhere..."  
  
"What?"  Isabella asked.  She turned around to face him.  "What are you talking about?"  
  
"I mean that there's an unusual amount of resentment in the air right now."  Phineas hastily explained.  "I guess it's one of my powers due to being part dark.  I can sense the dark auras of people.  Not to mention, I can pinpoint the scent of darkness, and right now, there's a lot of it in this room, and I'm not sure why."  
  
"So, you think that something's going to happen because of this collection of darkness?"  Isabella asked.  Phineas let go of her hand and walked over to the center of the food court.  "I'm guessing that's a yes."  
  
As Phineas and Isabella walked over the center of the food court, somebody accidentally bumped into them, dropping something on the floor.  She muttered a half rushed apology and ran off.  
  
"Hey, wait, you dropped these!"  Phineas called out, running after her.  
  
"Oh, you can keep them.  My friends, who I got them for, didn't want them."  She said, then ran off again.  Phineas looked at what she had dropped.  They were two necklaces, one shaped like a crown, the other shaped like a heart, with an X in the middle.  
  
"Oh, Phineas, what'cha got there?"  Isabella asked as she walked over.  She looked at the necklaces.  "Ooh, pretty!"  
  
"That lady who dropped them said we could have them."  Phineas said.  "I'll get the crown, if that's okay with you."  
  
"Alright, then."  Isabella said, picking up the heart-shaped necklace.  They put their necklaces on, then looked over to see Candace and Jeremy sitting in the food court, Candace looking at them with frightened eyes.  
  
"Candace...?"  Phineas asked.  Suddenly, a large shock went through him, causing him to fall to the ground.  He slowly got up, panting slightly.  He walked forward, then passed out, just a large earthquake hit the mall, causing everybody to panic.  
  
"Ph-Phineas?!"  Isabella cried out, then sank to her knees, weary.  It felt as if all the energy in her was being slowly sucked out of her.  The room swung and pitched helplessly, and Isabella gradually let her eyes close, slipping into darkness...  
***  
  
Ferb and Emily walked through the park, laughing.  They each wore a necklace shaped like a splintered, upside-down heart.  
  
Emily said something, and Ferb nodded.  He looked up, then suddenly grabbed Emily just as a large earthquake hit, causing panic to spread.  Ferb just held onto Emily silently, then the two of them passed out, their necklaces glowing slightly.  
***  
  
The songbird sat in her cage, holding her sketchbook out in front of her.  She sighed as she put the finishing touches on her drawing, drew her knees up to her chest and put her head down.  
  
"I'm sorry."  She whispered, her voice monotone and hollow.  "I have no choice but to do this.  I'm so sorry..."  She suddenly sat up and crawled over to the edge of her cage.  "Those scents...  They've awakened again..."  She sat back and began to draw again, almost feverishly.  "I must escape from here...I must save this Story...!"


	3. Chapter 2:  Aftermath

"Vince, look at these readings."  Misti said, her voice full of alarm.  Vince walked over in confusion.  "Look at this.  These are hers, but they don't match up to the same readings five years ago.  Both of the boys' readings are fine, but the girls'...the girls' are all mixed up.  Did something happen to them that we just don't know about?"  
  
"I suppose, but only they have the power to change their elements, and even if they did, it doesn't make sense."  Vince said, leaning back.  "You know what?  Let's go find them.  Besides, they're probably after them, now that their powers have awoken again.  We need to see if those readings bear any relevance to the events of that night."  
  
"Yes, you're right."  Misti replied.  "Let's go.  I'll take the mall, and you take the park."  
  
"Alright, then."  Vince said.  "Deal."  
***  
  
"Major Gaia, I have caught onto their scents again."  Aeor said.  "But...two of the scents are quite strange.  It's like they're different from before."  
  
"Different how?"  Le asked.  
  
"One of them is filled with light, when it was originally filled with darkness.  Then, there's the other one...that one has an equal amount of light and dark in it.  Not to mention, the scent of light carries a sharp twinge to it.  Something that punctuates, then fades away, but lingers afterwards."  Aeor said, thinking deeply.  "But, I'm sure that these are the same people that we've been following.  There's no mistaking it."  
  
Andressa then ran in, looking worried.  "The songbird has vanished!"  
***  
  
Emily was the first one to wake between her and Ferb.  She sat down a little ways away and retied her ponytail, which had come loose.  As she undid her bow, she wondered what had happened.  It had seemed to her like it was just a giant blur, and she didn't remember much.  
  
Ferb then woke up, shaking his head a little.  He saw Emily, then gently took the ribbon from her and tied it in the front.  
  
"There."  He said.  "That's better."  He took a picture of Emily and showed it to her.  
  
"You're right.  It does look better this way."  Emily said.  She gently touched the navy blue ribbon in her hair.  "It's just that...Dad doesn't like it this way because it reminds him of Mom.  That's why I always wear it in a ponytail."  Ferb blinked in response.  "I know, I wear it like this sometimes, but that's because sometimes when Dad and I fight, it's usually over what happened to Mom.  I always blame myself, because I...I was there.  I could've prevented it somehow, but I didn't.  I just watched, and did nothing at all to stop everything from happening."  
  
Rebecca Kinney, Emily's mother, had died when Emily was younger in an accident involving the lab she worked at.  Emily had been a witness to the whole thing, but didn't remember much of what happened.  
  
"Describe her for me."  Ferb said.  It was a kind of exercise he and Emily did.  If one of them got stressed over a memory of a certain person, then the other would ask to describe the person they were thinking about.  
  
"Well, she looked a lot like me."  Emily said.  "Except her hair was longer, and a few shades lighter than mine.  It was also very glossy, and smooth, and oh, so soft.  I remember my hands getting tangled up in it whenever I was upset and she would bend down and pick me up.  It was like silk.  But, it was also thin.  So thin, I felt like I could break off a large chunk very easily."  Emily's hair was outrageously thick, and mousy.  She sighed and continued.  "But, her eyes were always filled with such a kind grace, it was as if one look from them would instantly make you feel calmer.  She also never wore makeup, because she said that it hid your true self from the world.  Mom had such a wild, free spirit.  She taught me how to value nature, and to see the light in the darkness."  
  
A young man walked up to them, with dark chestnut brown hair and dull moss green eyes.  He wore a black shirt and dark blue jeans with a lab coat overtop.  
  
"You're Ferb Fletcher and Emily Kinney, right?"  He asked.  "My name is Vince.  Is it alright if I talk to you two for a bit?"  He held out a picture, which had in it himself, a young woman with light lavender hair, her hair tied in a ponytail near the base of her head, another young man with lighter brown hair and glasses, a third young man with a wiry face and dark copper hair, another young woman with thick curly black hair, tied back with a dark green bow, and a third young woman with light blonde hair which flowed behind her majestically.  All of them had lab coats on, and were standing around a podium, the banner above it reading, "The Elements Project--A New Future For All of Society."  
  
"Do you recognize the people in this photo?"  Vince asked.  
***  
  
"Well, the woman with the lavender hair is obviously you."  Phineas said.  Misti nodded.  She, Phineas, and Isabella were sitting on a nearby bench, still in the mall.  "The man with the glasses is Dad, the woman with the bow in her hair is Isabella's mom, and I've heard enough descriptions of Emily's mom to know that the last woman in the picture is her.  Now, the man with the copper hair looks a lot like me, so I'm guessing he's my biological father, and I don't know who the last man is."  
  
"He's my husband, Vince."  Misti replied.  "But, yes, you got them all correct.  Your skills of observation are amazing."  
  
"But, what's the Elements Project?"  Isabella asked.  "And how do we know that you're not some kind of crazy stalker?"  
  
"Do you think I fabricated this photo, then?"  Misti asked.  "Let me ease your mind, then.  There are no other pictures of Daniel Flynn after this one.  In fact, tomorrow is seven years after the day this picture was taken.  See?"  She pointed to the time stamp on the back of the picture.  "Tomorrow, he will be declared MIA.  He will no longer exist, the feds will stop trying to track him down."  
  
"Track him down?  For what?"  Isabella asked, but was cut off by Phineas.  
  
"No, you're wrong."  Phineas said.  "Tomorrow marks seven years of his death.  He was killed trying to protect a little kid from being run over by car.  It was really rainy that day, and the driver lost control of his car.  His brakes were really bad, so he couldn't stop.  He pushed the girl out of the way, and he got hit instead.  That girl he saved...is the one who's sitting right next to me."  
  
"I don't...remember that..."  Isabella whispered.  "But, Phineas, how do you remember something like that?"  
  
"It just popped into my head, suddenly."  Phineas explained.  "I remember it being all over the news and everything.  It was just after you moved to Danville."  
  
As Phineas and Isabella talked, Misti noticed somebody watching them.  She quietly excused herself, then walked over to her, sitting alone at a small table, holding a small sketchbook close to her chest.  She wore a heavy black coat, her hood partially off her head.  
  
"I can't stop it once it starts."  The teenager said.  "The Story must remain linear.  If I try to undo anything, I'd be messing with the Story's flow.  It wouldn't get to The End.  Even though I'm powerful enough to stop what I've started, and that Phineas wouldn't have to undergo treatment that long to fix what I've done, the Story would never have The End it's supposed to.  Such is the fate of the Storyteller with feelings."  
  
"...Storyteller...?"  Misti asked.  
  
"Yes.  Perhaps you've heard of me."  She said.  "I have no name, but they all call me the Songbird.  I am the most powerful Storyteller to exist."  
***  
  
Where could she have gone to?"  Gaia asked, pacing back and forth.  "Aeor, have you tracked down her scent yet?"  
  
"No, not yet, Major Gaia."  Aeor replied.  "However, if my hunch is correct, she could be with one of the ones we're looking for."  
  
"Ah, yes."  Andressa said.  "We know how much emotional attachment she has to her puppets in her games.  She's probably monitoring the one we asked to corrupt as we speak."  
  
"The best part is that she can't undo the corruption because if she did, she wouldn't be able to reach The End."  Le put in.  "So, we can get her back and the first part of the Story under our control in one swipe."  
  
"Excellent plan."  Gaia said.  "Go, you three, and get the Songbird back.  I'm depending on you to make this a success."  
  
The three of them saluted, then Aeor opened a portal, and disappeared.  
  
"I hope they can do this.  We need the Songbird..."  Gaia whispered.  
***  
  
Vince, Ferb, and Emily met up with Misti, Phineas, Isabella, and the Songbird at Vince and Misti's mobile lab around the same time.  
  
"Who's this?"  Vince asked when he saw their third companion.  
  
"I am called the Songbird."  She said.  "It's nice to meet you."  She spoke with a soft voice, with a heavy monotone in it.  
  
"Yes, well, we need to explain a few things.  A lot of things, really."  Vince said.  Misti nodded softly in agreement.  
  
"As do I."  The Songbird replied.  The seven of them entered the van, which was filled with all sorts of instruments, monitors, and wires.  
  
"Sorry for the cramped space."  Misti said.  "We're used to having two in here at a time."  
  
"Well, let's see here..."  Vince muttered, sitting down in front of two monitors.  "Huh?  There's an email in here.  No subject, but the address isn't one for spam, and there's some attached images..."  He opened the file and gasped.  
  
There were four photos in the file, two pictures being shown on each monitor.  The first picture was of a younger Phineas in a test tube, oxygen bubbles all around him.  The second was of Ferb, being placed in a small pod of some sort, a monitor showing a full body scan next to him.  The third picture was of Emily, in profile view, being held up in the air by a series of wires in the ceiling.  She was bent over, her arms dangling by her side, her legs close to her chest, and her hair flowing softly around her.  
  
The fourth picture, however, was what intrigued everyone the most.  It was of Isabella, sitting on a table on her knees, being held up by a series of wires along her spine, head, and arms.  Also in the picture was Vivian, her hair up in a high ponytail, holding one of Isabella's arms and monitoring something in her bloodstream.  Out of the four pictures, it was the only one that actually showed one of the scientists in full view.  
  
There was a sudden clang of the door opening, and everyone turned to see Isabella running out of the van, tears streaming down her face.  
  
_I thought that it couldn't be true, but was I wrong?_ Isabella thought. _My own mother...she used me as part of her experiments, didn't she...?_  
  
"Mom!"  She cried as she ran into her house.  "Mom, I know you're here right now.  Where are you?  We really need to talk, and I would prefer it to be now!"  
  
As soon as Isabella finished her sentence, a large bolt of lightning shot up from the ground where she stood, covering the floor in blue electrical currents.  Vivian walked in, as well as Vince, Misti, and the others.  
  
"So, I was right."  Misti said.  "Your and Emily's powers have changed..."  
  
"That would be because of me."  The Songbird said.  "I guess I'd better explain everything about me now."


	4. Chapter 3:  The Story

The Songbird sat down at the table in the kitchen nook of the Garcia-Shapiro house, the others following.  She sighed, then began her explanation.  
  
"I do not have a name."  She said.  "Even if I was created with one, I am not sure of it.  As I know, I am nameless due to the fact that my entire existence lies in the shadows.  They do, however, call me the Songbird.  I am the most powerful Storyteller to exist in these Worlds."  
  
"What exactly is a Storyteller?"  Emily asked.  She looked over towards the couch in the living room, where Isabella was, unconscious.  After Vince, Misti, and Vivian calmed her down, she had passed out.  
  
"A Storyteller is somebody similar to I guess what you call The Fates."  The Songbird explained.  "We spin tales of the different Worlds that exist within each universe.  Each Story we write with our magic unfolds before our very eyes, and with our additional powers, we can create great tales of adventure, or horrible webs of destruction.  Whatever we desire and write on our paper becomes what you call reality."  
  
"So, are somebody who doesn't exactly exist, then?"  Phineas asked.  "I mean, with what you're describing, it almost sounds like that you transcend human life, that you're somebody who lives in a different plane from us."  
  
"Yes, when you put it that way, it does sound like us Storytellers."  The Songbird said.  Vivian placed in front of everyone tea cups and saucers.  "But, in truth, we are all human.  There is no Storyteller that lives as a mere concept in the eyes of humans, although we are just myths ourselves in our ways of being an actual thing.  However, our existence is indeed human.  We just happen to have powers that transcend human capabilities."  
  
"And their powers?"  Vince questioned.  Vivian started pouring black tea into the tea cups, scents of fragrant herbs and spices coming from it.  "I'm supposing you know where they came from?"  The Songbird simply nodded.  
  
"So, what was the Elements Project?"  Emily asked, taking some sugar and pouring it into her tea and stirring it around with a spoon.  "Why were so many of our parents involved in it?"  
  
"The Elements Project was an experiment to try to create the perfect human being."  Vivian explained, sitting down.  "We needed a set of genes that were completely random, so when I, Linda, Victoriaa, and Rebecca got pregnant, we decided to use you in it.  Misti was also supposed to contribute, but she miscarriaged.  However, the project lasted for five long years, and with excellent results.  We managed to merge certain elements with the power of your hearts, linking them to sustain extremities any normal human would've died from in mere hours."  
  
"However, the powers themselves were accidents."  Misti said.  She took a small sip of her tea.  "We were trying to sync your bloodwork when something happened and we eventually figured out that the experiments had unlocked something hidden in each of your hearts.  A power built upon the light and dark sides of your hearts and minds."  
  
Vince picked up where Misti had left off.  "Phineas, your mind shone with light, but your heart was steeped in darkness, though there was a small spark growing deep inside you.  You got the power of fire.  Isabella's case was the opposite, and her mind was overpowering her heart.  She got the power to control despair.  Ferb and Emily, however, both walked very different paths.  They exist on neither the light or dark, and the twilight in between.  They just simply don't get themselves involved, and thus, were directionless.  Ferb got the power of wind, and the ability to manipulate the darkness inside a person's heart.  His ability allowed him to find a purpose, which was to stave the hunger for darkness Phineas' heart craved.  Emily still doesn't have a purpose or ability, but she shown with plenty of innocence.  We gave her the power of controlling light and hope."  
  
"The new powers were where I came in."  The Songbird said, taking a sip of tea.  "With Isabella's growing light in her heart, I knew that having the power of despair would slowly destroy her.  I took her power and gave her the power of lightning instead.  With Emily, since she was directionless, she needed an equilibrium situation.  So, I gave her Isabella's power of despair and had her keep her original power of hope.  She can now control the light and the dark."  
  
"Well, you still haven't fully explained the Story yet."  Misti said after a moment.  "What exactly is the Story?"  
  
The Songbird set her teacup down and looked up.  "The Story is just simply that--the story that is told in that particular World.  Ferb, your new theory for the universe wasn't too far off, you know.  I'm quite impressed."  
  
After a few confused looks from the others, Phineas and Emily explained.  
  
"Ferb's theory about the universe was that we're all set in separate worlds contained in one universe."  Emily began.  "Several are almost similar, with minute changes.  Those are all in the center, bunched together.  However, there are worlds that have bigger changes than others.  They're around the worlds with smaller changes, but not collected within them.  Then, the worlds with the biggest changes and almost don't seem to be part of that particular universe are on the edge of the universe.  All of the universes are lined up like this, and some people even have the ability to jump from each universe."  
  
"Time's like that, too."  Phineas added in.  "All of the timelines from the different universes run along each other, with convergence points along the way that link them all together.  However, some will hit, and some won't."  
  
"The part he got wrong was about the people being able to jump from universe to universe."  The Songbird replied.  "They only send their consciousnesses there.  So, I can be in this world physically, but I'm actually focused on another world in another universe."  
  
"How do they do that?"  Vince asked.  
  
"Some can use pictures, while others can use words."  The Songbird answered.  "I can actually do both."  
  
"So, your magic must be really powerful, then."  Isabella said, leaning on the top of the couch from where she sat.  
  
"Yes, Storytellers usually have a lot of magic, usually a combination of being involved with their lives and having magic from the start."  The Songbird replied coolly, taking another sip of her tea.  "Especially those who have turned."  
  
"'Turned?'"  Misti echoed.  "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"They've strayed away from the path and have turned evil."  The Songbird said.  "They try to take over an manipulate worlds that are doing just fine on their own, and don't need guidance.  You got that mysterious memo about 'them,' right?  Well, those people were the ones I escaped from, and they're evil Storytellers.  We call them Riddlers.  They also want the Elements for themselves to take over all of the Stories they can."  
  
"Wait, so why are they using you in order to do that?"  Phineas asked.  
  
The Songbird hesitated, looking straight at Phineas.  From his point of view, he could see her eyes, trembling behind a pair of glasses.  Her expression was of one of pure terror.  She suddenly broke out her trance, looking up.  Phineas bent his down abruptly, clutching his head.  
  
"Oh, no."  She muttered.  She stood up and walked over to the door.  "Vince, Misti, take the Elements and get them somewhere safe.  They've found me, and are most likely after them, too."  
  
"What?"  Phineas asked.  "But, you're going to need help!"  
  
"I'll be fine on my own."  She said, holding up a hand of cards.  "I have offensive powers, as well."  
  
"She's right, Phineas."  Isabella added, taking his hand gently.  "Right now, we have no control of our powers, and how much energy to use when we're fighting.  We'll just be doing more harm than good if we get involved."  She silently lead him over to the van, where Vince, Misti, and Ferb were waiting.  
  
  
At that moment, two portals opened in front of the Songbird and Emily, who had made sure that Vivian was also safe inside of her house.  The young woman, probably no older than the Songbird, lunged towards her, reaching out towards her.  Both Emily and the Songbird dodged, jumping opposite ways.  The young Storyteller pulled out her deck of cards again, which she threw on the ground in front of the woman.  The card exploded into a wall of flames that surrounded her.  
  
The young man that had arrived through the second portal ran towards the two of them next, and the Songbird rushed towards him, brandishing another card.  She threw the card, this time near the man, and grabbed it again, this time sending a strong gust of wind around her and Emily, pushing him back.  Eventually, it shoved him into the air and into the fire cage, causing the cage to collapse.  The Songbird jumped back, holding up a third card.  
  
However, the woman she had trapped had other plans.  
  
She grabbed the card and the Songbird's arm, causing the cards to scatter everywhere.  The man ran over as well, and held her arms as she struggled against him.  The woman made the cards disappear, smiling with an expression of insane glee.  The Songbird went limp, her eyes wide open and opaque.  
  
Meanwhile, Emily was just about to get into the van, Phineas holding out his hand for her to grab, when from a portal opened behind her and a young man with dark blue hair that went down to the middle of his back and shielded his eyes from view stepped out.  He grabbed her, and Emily screamed as he walked back into the portal, changing shape.  Her hair changed, from blonde to black, and became shorter, barely reaching the base of her jaw.  Her clothes were different, as well, now a long black form fitting dress covered in lace.  
  
"Emily!"  Isabella yelled, only to be pulled back by Phineas and Ferb.  They watched in horror as Emily and the Songbird vanished before their eyes, the portals they went through gone.  
  
"There was no time, besides, it was way too dangerous."  Phineas said as they let go of her.  "I'm sorry..."  
***  
  
The Songbird was roughly shoved into her cage, being held by her scalp by Andressa.  She locked the cage and took a step back, smirking.  
  
"Now, be a good little girl and stay."  Andressa sneered, putting extra emphasis on the word 'stay.'  "You're way too much trouble out of your cage."  
  
Andressa left, tossing in her sketchbook, and the Songbird put her knees up to her chest, trying not to cry.  She looked over at Emily, who was still unconscious.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Emily..."  She whispered, then finally broke down, and cried.  "I'll always be trapped here...always trapped in this cage...!"  
***  
  
Misti walked down the street.  Phineas, Ferb, and Isabella had already gone to their respective houses, and Misti was too stressed to deal with Vince at the moment.  Sure, he was her husband, but he hated seeing her under so much stress.  
  
She stopped at the corner of a busy street, and waited for a taxi.  When she spotted one, she waved it down and got in.  
  
"Jamie's Tavern, please."  She said wearily.  It was almost kind of like her relaxation spot.  She and the bartender, Greg, had been good childhood friends and he had even been a little involved with the Elements Project, at that.  
  
Misti got out of the taxi and payed her fare.  Jamie's was a small, hole in the wall that didn't get many customers.  Perhaps that was why Misti like it so much.  The intimacy of it all and the fact that it honestly hid a few secrets of its own that would never leave the walls made her feel safe and comfortable.  
  
She walked in, the small bell on the door ringing softly.  Greg looked up and smiled.  He brushed his black hair out of his face, the thin, silky strands still escaping his grasp and falling back into his eyes.  He had a very feminine frame, even with his face.  However, his voice was a very dusky tenor, which often made new customers gasp with shock when they heard him speak.  
  
"Misti, long time, no see."  He said.  "So, what drove you back here?"  
  
This was how most of their conversations started.  It was actually rare now for Misti to go over to Jamie's, so Greg would just start with what made her so upset to go there in the first place.  
  
"The Elements Project."  Misti said, hanging her head slightly.  "The Elements Project has been revived, Greg."  
  
Greg looked up at Misti in surprise.  "Well, I'm sorry, but you're not receiving my help on it.  After what happened before with that thing, I'm even trying not to think of it anymore."  
  
"I'm sorry, too, Greg."  Misti replied.  "But, things have just gotten all the more complicated since that time.  Recently, and now even more so, I'm thinking about shutting the entire project down.  I wouldn't terminate the test subjects, of course, but probably erase their memories of today, and strip them of their powers.  Something simple like that."  
  
Greg sighed and sat down next to his friend.  "But, is that what you truly want to do?"  Misti looked up.  "I can see it in your eyes.  You really care about those kids, don't you?  You want to watch their powers develop, and see them grow, just like all those years ago."  
  
"But, it's too dangerous for them..."  Misti whispered.  
  
"They can control their powers even better than before."  Greg countered.  
  
"One of them has been captured, as well."  Misti responded, facing him.  
  
"They'll fight their way out."  Greg said.  He grasped her hands in his.  "Look, Misti, they can take care of themselves.  I know that, and so do you.  You just have to be stronger than you think you are."  
  
Misti thought about it for a moment, then nodded.  "You're right, Greg.  I know they can do this.  Thank you."  
  
She walked out of Jamie's, filled with determination and hope.  She knew that the four of them would be alright, and that they could it make it on their own.  
  
They had no choice but to, after all.


	5. Chapter 4:  Escape plan

Emily slowly opened her eyes to find herself in a rather large room with a beautiful golden cage in the center.  The room had windows on all sides, as well, one with an astounding view of their world.  The other side had a small swirling vortex on it, filled with the aura of darkness.  
  
"Glad to see you awake."  The Songbird said.  Emily was startled to see her in the cage, her hood off, revealing her long, silky dark imperial violet hair, put into two high ponytails, swirling around her on the floor of the cage.  "Listen, we need to escape from here."  As she said this, she was drawing in a sketchbook, her pale hazel eyes glowing softly.  "I'm setting up a diversion in another one of the worlds I control."  Emily sat up and crawled over to the cage.  The drawing on the page was of somebody sitting in an office, looking around with a frightened expression.  
  
"I kind of already guessed that."  Emily replied, leaning on the bars of the cage.  "So, what exactly happened when we tried to get everybody out?"  
  
"You turned into your Despair Forme."  The Songbird said, looking up from her drawing and closing her sketchbook.  "It allowed you to go into this world unharmed."  
  
"What would've happened if I didn't turn into my Despair Forme?"  Emily asked.  She stood up and began walking around the cage, looking for a way to open it.  
  
The Songbird looked down slightly and opened her sketchbook again.  "The darkness used in the ability to open the portal would've destroyed you.  The only ones who can go through without too much harm are the ones with darkness fully piercing in their hearts.  But, even then, it can cause problems, but can be fixed by using a powerful antitoxin or spell.  Luckily, there are special cloaks that conceal others from the effects, so they can pass through safely."  
  
Emily nodded, then looked over to the swirling vortex in the farther window.  "By the way...that vortex.  What is it?  I sense a lot of dark energy coming from it."  
  
"The way out to the other worlds."  The Songbird answered.  "Most Storytellers would actually have to go to that world in order to manipulate it.  However, I figured out that given enough growth in your magical abilities, and it's unnecessary to do so.  You can be in one world and still manipulate another at the same time."  
  
Emily found a small latch on the cage, pulled it to the side, and opened the cage.  The Songbird looked up, then smiled gently.  
  
"You can tell me more about all this once we're back home."  Emily said, reaching out her hand.  "Now, come on.  Just because you're a songbird doesn't mean you have to be locked in a cage all the time."  
***  
  
Phineas lounged on his bed, looking at his necklace in a strange sort of interest.  Ferb sighed as he looked over at him again, and continued reading his book.  It was a quite strange look for him, due to the fact that it was an almost numb expression of child-like wonder.  A look that never really crossed the red head's face, and was quite concerning when it did.  
  
Phineas finally decided to sit up, tucking his necklace in his shirt.  "Hey, Ferb, I'd say we'd better hide these necklaces for now.  And our powers.  We wouldn't want to freak Mom and Dad, after all."  Ferb nodded, and Phineas continued talking.  "To me, this has all been very sudden..."  Ferb closed his book and looked at him.  He laid down on his bed again, playing with a small ball of fire in his hands above his head.  "Doesn't this sound strange?  It's just a normal day for us, when all of this happens.  A great power that has been lying dormant within us has now awoken, and we now have to fight for our lives in a suddenly darker version of our world."  He caused the ball of fire to disappear.  "It's all so strange to me, how all of this came to pass at this exact moment..."  
  
Candace knocked on the door, and told them that dinner was ready.  She twisted a small silver armband on her left shoulder slightly, then walked downstairs slowly, softly touching the banister as she lightly stepped from one stair to another, looking slightly unfocused.  The boys looked at each other for a moment, then followed her downstairs silently.  Linda and Laurence were already sitting down, Linda serving herself and her husband some salad, beef flank and cauliflower on everybody's plates.  
  
Candace sat down at the table with them and began eating her cauliflower.  Phineas sat down and asked for some salad, and Ferb began cutting into his beef flank.  
  
"You three are silent tonight."  Linda remarked, spearing a cucumber onto her fork.  "Did something happen?"  
  
"Well, Jeremy has the chance of getting a promotion to lead manager at Slushy Dawg."  Candace replied.  "He's pretty excited about it."  
  
"Yes, that does sounds promising."  Laurence said.  
  
"He was thinking about eventually buying his own apartment."  Candace added, taking a bite of beef flank.  "Probably near the college he gets accepted into."  
  
"Are you planning to move in with him at one point?"  Phineas asked as he ate some of his salad.  
  
"Yeah, probably."  Candace said.  The table fell silent as everybody stopped eating and put their utensils down.  "I mean, we are dating and all, so that would be the next step in our relationship logically.  I'm just talking years ahead.  We're in no hurry to move things along, after all."  
  
The house phone in the kitchen rang, and Linda got up, sighing and muttering softly.  After a few minutes of soft talking, she came back out, holding the phone in her hand and hanging up.  
  
"Do you know where Emily is, boys?"  Linda asked.  "Her father just called.  She didn't come home, and hasn't called at all.  I know you were with her, Ferb.  Do you know where she might be?"  Ferb shook his head softly.  "Well, we should probably look for her after dinner.  I can look for her with Laurence around downtown, and Candace, you take Phineas and Ferb to some of the parks.  Phineas, tell Isabella about what's going on, and ask her to help, too, please."  
  
"Alright, then."  Phineas said, and got out his phone to text Isabella.  
***  
  
About an hour later, Isabella stood on one of the thick tree branches in Danville Park.  The nights had started to get colder, so she wore a loose dark brown long coat over her dress, which whipped around her softly in the now growing gusts of wind that surrounded the park.  
  
"Still nothing..."  She muttered softly, looking at her phone.  She had sent about seven text messages to Emily, none of them receiving a reply.  Isabella put her phone back into her jacket pocket and sighed, leaning her back against the tree.  She could feel the energy moving from the earth out to the tips of the leaves against her back, like small beads of water moving up her body.  She closed her eyes, and saw herself flowing through space, a large spaceship looming in front of her.  She walked towards the ship, phasing through the walls.  
  
Inside the ship was a large room, in which there was nothing but white.  A young girl floated above a table, in suspended animation.  Wires looped around her arms and torso, and spiraled on the inside and outside of her legs.  Around her head was a large, bulky looking headpiece, attached to the top of her head and forehead.  Her pale salmon pink hair flowed around her, curling at the end.  She wore a beautiful white dress with sleeves going to her elbows and the skirt going just below her knees, with several layers going farther down in the back, with lace on the trim.  
  
Isabella circled around the girl when she suddenly woke up, the wires snapping off and the headpiece falling apart.  She fell backwards, and Isabella instinctively grabbed her hand, the girl pulling her down with her, screaming as they fell into darkness, her pale hazel eyes wide and trembling with fright.  
  
Isabella held onto the girl's hands when she felt herself get pulled back by something.  She looked up to see a pair of cool grey wings unfurled from her back and slow their fall.  When she looked down back at the girl again, she saw that they were flying above a city at night, several lights blinking in the distance.  The girl let go of Isabella's hand and unfurled her own wings, a beautiful pair of white wings, and motioned for her to follow.  They flew to an old house, where a young girl sat a a small desk, writing in a composition book.  She hummed softly to herself, smiling, until there was a loud knock on the door.  The young girl looked up in shock, then crawled underneath the desk, taking the composition book and holding it close to her chest.  The door burst open, and the world faded into white, ringing echoing in Isabella's ears.  
  
When the ringing finally faded, Isabella opened her eyes to find herself back in the park, still standing against the tree.  She stepped away from the base of the tree and jumped down, landing on the grass softly.  Phineas, who was still looking around, holding a flashlight in his hands, stopped and sat down underneath the tree.  Isabella joined him and sighed.  
  
"I'm really glad that so many people have come out here to look for Emily."  Isabella said.  Ferb came over and nodded as he sat down next to Isabella.  "Even if we're the only ones that actually know what happened to her, it's nice to know that people care, despite the fact that she's only been in Danville for about a month and a half now."  
  
"That's how people are here."  Phineas said as he watched the people stop others and ask them if they've seen their friend.  "Once they welcome someone, they're there for you thick and thin.  If something happens to one person, something happens to everyone.  We're all connected that way."  
  
Isabella nodded thoughtfully, then smiled.  "Yes, I suppose we are..."  
***  
  
Emily and the Songbird walked through the silent hallway, Emily in her Despair Forme.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry if something happens to you, but if anything does, I'm running."  The Songbird whispered to Emily.  "The plan to sneak out clearly took a turn for the worse."  
  
"Yes, it did."  Emily whispered back.  "By the way, is this the world that you were causing a diversion in earlier?"  The Songbird nodded.  "What kind of sick, twisted world did you drag me into?"  She gasped as she turned around slightly and saw the wall art was of a bunch of children with thick lines running down their faces, their mouths open in shocked screams.  
  
"A world that not many people can control without dying."  The Songbird replied, then looked behind her.  "Quick, run!"  
  
The two girls ran down the hall and took the first door on their left, ending up in a small supply closet.  Thick, heavy footsteps sounded outside of the door.  The Songbird began whispering something to herself, too low for Emily to hear.  The footsteps stopped just outside of the door, and the Songbird stopped whispering and almost seemed to freeze in place.  
  
After a while, the footsteps were back, and walked back down the hallway.  The Songbird let out a sigh of relief and grabbed Emily's hand.  
  
"It's gone.  We can get out of here."  She said.  Emily didn't respond.  "Hey, Emily, didn't you hear me?  We can get out of this world...!"  
  
Emily looked down at the ground.  "It's me..."  She whispered softly.  The lights flickered for a bit, then turned off.  "I'm still here..."  A music box melody began to play over the speakers, and the Songbird began drawing something in her sketchbook, whispering the words 'I'm sorry' over and over again.  
***  
  
Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, Buford, and Baljeet walked through Danville Park, dejected.  The police were now taking over the investigation, and they had been forced to sit through questioning, making Phineas, Ferb, and Isabella feel guilty for lying about Emily's whereabouts.  
  
"The ice cream guy's still out here at this hour...?"  Isabella asked.  
  
"Well, I saw Ferb and Emily getting ice cream this afternoon, so he was probably dragged out for questioning, too."  Baljeet explained.  "They have a new flavor, too.  Sea salt ice cream."  
  
Phineas perked up slightly.  "They brought back that flavor?  I'm impressed."  The other four looked at him slightly.  "For some reason, they discontinued the sea salt ice cream.  It was Dad's favorite, too.  Um, my past dad, not the dad I have now."  
  
"You remember a lot about your biological father, Phineas."  Isabella said.  "I don't remember mine that much, but I think I was younger than you when he left.  Yeah, that must be it.  It was such a long time ago, it almost seems like a dream at this point..."  
  
"Hey, are we gonna get ice cream, or just continue staring at the guy over there?"  Buford asked.  
  
"Yeah, Buford's right."  Isabella added.  "Ice cream might just be the thing to cheer us up.  I want to try the sea salt flavor!  Or, if they have it, maybe a sakura flavor.  That'd be really nice."  
  
"But, cherry blossoms only bloom in the spring."  Baljeet corrected her.  "You missed your chance to get any."  
  
"Yeah, but there's always greenhouse grown sakura ice cream."  Isabella rebutted.  "How else do you think we can get berries and fruit all year round?"  
  
"Yes, but greenhouse grown produce is not the same as freshly grown, in season produce!"  Baljeet protested.  
  
As the two of them argued, Phineas placed his order for the ice cream.  
  
"Two sea salt ice creams, one watermelon flavor, one chocolate swirl, and one vanilla, please."  Phineas said.  He paid for the treats, and he and Ferb handed them out to his friends--vanilla for Ferb, chocolate for Buford, and watermelon for Baljeet, and the second sea salt for Isabella.  They were silent as they walked through the street, eating.  A soft wind blew through the street, and a strange aura pulsated throughout the area.  Isabella stopped, holding her popsicle stick.  
  
"Emily..."  She whispered, and held the popsicle stick close to her chest, letting the wind blow around her.  She walked down a small alley, and the others shortly followed.  
  
The alleys were somewhat connected in this part of downtown, and the five friends wove through them, climbing over trash cans and under old fences, Isabella leading the way, following the aura that rippled throughout the path they walked through.  
  
After a while, she stopped.  "Wait, there's something else here, too."  
  
"Hey, Dinner Bell, what exactly are we following?"  Buford asked.  Phineas, however, was also distracted.  He joined his friend and placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn around.  
  
"There's a pungent scent of darkness around here, like it's been festering within somebody's heart."  Phineas whispered.  "Is that what you're seeing in the aura we've been following?"  
  
Isabella nodded.  "Also, I've been a getting a series of strange sounds, like radio feedback and static.  Sometimes I can hear voices.  It's an old automated voice, spelling out the words 'save her,' then a quiet whisper saying 'you can't.'  I'm not sure of what it means, but I can feel something in the air.  Something that shouldn't really be there.  It has a faint feel to it, though..."  A soft wind blew through her hair, and she pulled her hand through it.  "An air from another world, maybe..."


	6. Chapter 5:  Steadying Panic and a Name at Last

The Songbird took a few steps back, then put her hood on over her head, slowly letting out a deep breath.  A powerful aura surrounded the two of them, lifting Emily off the ground, slowly falling unconscious.  The aura got absorbed into her body, and a flood of black smoke came pouring out in thick tendrils, a strong stench of darkness emanating from them.  The Songbird dropped to the ground, panting slightly, and Emily softly drifted to the floor, back in her normal appearance.  She slowly opened her eyes and looked around, slightly dazed.  
  
"What happened to me...?"  She asked softly.  She saw the Songbird and crawled over to her when the closet door opened, a frightening silhouette before them, their shadow stretching across the pair, shrouding them in darkness.  Both girls were paralyzed out of fear on the spot, neither making a single sound.  
  
"What on earth are you two doing?"  Isabella asked, pulling the two of them off the floor.  "You both look as if you just saw a ghost or something."  
  
"Well, 'saw' wouldn't be the exact word there..."  The Songbird said sheepishly, laughing nervously.  "To be honest, 'ghost' wouldn't fit in this situation, either.  But, how'd you get in here?"  
  
"I followed this strange aura I kept sensing to this old abandoned building."  Isabella explained.  "Once I got in, I just waited for the lights to come back on and followed your and Emily's aura to this supply closet."  
  
"Where the heck were you waiting?!"  The Songbird asked, incredulous.  
  
"Over by the main entrance.  Nothing came even close to me the entire time."  Isabella answered.  "I think there's some kind of force field around that area."  
  
The Songbird sighed and the three of them left, blinking and letting their eyes adjust to the evening streetlights back in Danville.  Phineas, Ferb, and the others surrounded them, Buford and Baljeet asking where they were, and who the Songbird was.  They didn't comment, and Emily only requested that she would be taken home to go to sleep.  As Buford and Baljeet left, the other four finally let out a sigh of relief, the Songbird watching as they walked off in silence.  
  
"Though that reminds me."  Isabella said.  "Since you don't have a name, why don't we give you one?"  
  
"Um, alright."  The Songbird replied happily, turning her attention back to the other four.  "I think a name would be great for me."  
  
Phineas looked at her, smiling softly with her head tilted to the side peacefully and innocently.  "I don't think she really knows how important a name is..."  He whispered to Isabella.  
  
"I guess that proves how innocent and sheltered she really is, huh?"  Isabella whispered back.  "We still need to come up with a name for her, though.  Something that reflects how innocent and cute she is, but is still dignified."  They started walking down the street, Phineas putting his hands behind his head, the Songbird following closely behind the four.  
  
"I'm stumped.  I can't come up with a good name, either."  Emily said.  "Ferb, do you have any ideas?"  Ferb shook his head.  "The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Ava, for some odd reason.  It was probably on one of those weird posters, that's why..."  
  
"You know, I think Ava fits her."  Phineas said.  
  
"I agree."  Isabella said, nodding.  
  
"Alright then, I guess it's settled."  Emily said, turning around and facing the Songbird.  "From now on, you have a name to call yourself by, and that name is going to be Ava."  
  
"Ava..."  Ava said, tasting the word.  "I like it.  It's cute, but still mature enough for someone like me.  Thank you for giving me a name, and one as pretty as Ava...  Thank you very much..."  Ava then took off her coat, revealing to everyone her long beautiful hair, and a gorgeous short black dress with a fitted A-line haltered bodice and ruffled tiered skirt that went to her midthighs, as well as knee high black laced boots.  "I don't think I'll be needing to wear this thing anytime soon, anyways.  I'm glad..."  
  
"Well, then, welcome to Danville, Ava."  Phineas said.  "I guess you can stay with Misti and Vince for the time being.  Be sure to visit our house from time to time.  I'm sure you'll love our inventions!"  
  
"Will do."  Ava replied, smiling.  "I'll come by tomorrow, so see you then?"  
  
"Alright."  Phineas said.  "See you tomorrow!"  
  
With those words, Ava said farewell to her new friends and ran off towards Vince and Misti, who were waiting in the park for them to come back.  Laughing and smiling, they told themselves that tomorrow was going to be another normal day, and that everything was going to be fine.  
  
But, that was far from the truth, starting with the thing that followed Emily and Ava home.  
***  
  
Ava sat alone in her new bedroom in the scientists' apartment.  The apartment was quite big, with two bedrooms and an actual living room that didn't have another room inside of it.  She wrote in a small composition notebook, only seeing by the small desk lamp in the corner.  She occasionally opened her sketchbook to a certain page and wrote even faster.  
  
"The Story's becoming more and more entangled..."  She whispered as she wrote.  "But, why?  Was it because of what I did?  These two Stories would destroy each other if they ever touched, but...if I can merge them, yes, just slightly merge them piece by piece, then I can create a new Story from this.  A new Story all my own...  A Story I can control all by myself, without them watching me every step of the way..."  As she wrote, thick black tendrils of magic surrounded her and glowed softly as she weaved together a new Story for everyone to enjoy, created from a simple mistake and turned into a masterpiece.  
  
From behind the door, which was opened slightly, Misti watched silently and something in the back of her mind told her that she really shouldn't trust this girl, no matter how nice she seemed.


	7. Chapter 6:  Scrambled Memories of Mangled Dreams

Phineas woke up in an empty field of white.  As he stood up, everything changed around him to a lovely sunset in the middle of a park.  A father and son walked on the small path he was standing next to, the son practically dragging his father somewhere.  The scene suddenly changed, static and loud feedback emitting from all around.  When it finally stopped, the boy was all alone, looking around for his father, who had disappeared.  
  
Phineas looked at the boy, then heard footsteps behind him.  He leaped back slightly when he realized it was just a young girl, and became less aggressive and on guard.  The young girl wore a pretty white dress that blew around her ankles with spaghetti straps and pink ribbons in the back.  Her pale salmon hair was down, and reached the middle of her back.  She held in her hands a small white glowing orb of some sort, which she rocked back and forth from hand to the other slowly, her eyes following it softly, as if she was in a daze.  
  
"What is that?"  Phineas asked her.  The girl, still playing with the orb, sat down on the grass, which blew around her softly as she did so.  Phineas did the same.  
  
"This is a special thing I was given."  She replied, her voice light, but in monotone.  "I was given it to help this world.  You see, in this world, things are neither created nor destroyed.  We simply exist here."  
  
Phineas looked around him to see that the world had changed yet again.  It was just a grassy hillside, the grass moving and bending in the wind.  
  
"So, why am I here, then?"  Phineas asked.  "Why do I exist in this world that cannot create, and cannot destroy?"  
  
The girl was silent, still entranced by the small orb of light.  The sky dimmed slightly with clouds.  
  
"Why do you exist in this world?"  Phineas asked.  The girl slowly looked up.  
  
"To help you escape it."  The girl replied, and gasped as a fierce wind blew through the hillside.  She held the orb close to her chest, not wanting to lose it.  "I'm sorry, for all the things that are going to happen to you..."  
  
The redhead stood up, about to ask something, when the wind grew even stronger.  He was swept off his feet and carried away, everything around him fading to white.  
***  
  
Ferb woke up to hear Phineas groaning, not on his bed, but right off the side of it, laying on his stomach, half asleep.  He obviously had had a bad dream and fallen off again.  
  
"Morning, Ferb."  Phineas sleepily greeted as he stood up.  "Man, that was a weird dream...it felt so lifelike, too.  Maybe that was the strangest thing about it.  Yeah, that had to be it..."  He stretched and rummaged through his closet, looking for something to wear.  Ferb sent a small wind current to blow through his hair, making him look up.  "I'm guessing you want me to talk about it, huh?  Well, you see, it started off fine..."  
  
As Phineas talked, Ferb's mind slowly shifted to Ava and Emily.  He had felt something in their auras, but he just wasn't sure what.  He sighed as he tugged his shirt on.  Perhaps the day's big idea would take the worry off his mind.  
  
"Also, I've been thinking a lot lately."  Phineas said as he tied his hightops.  "Several memories have been coming back to me, but they just don't feel the same, you know?  It's like my mind's gotten them mixed up or something."  He said this as they walked down the stairs to breakfast, where Laurence was already sitting at the table, enjoying a hot cup of earl grey.  
  
"Well, our minds tend to do that sometimes."  Laurence said to Phineas.  "If the memory wasn't particularly, well, memorable, or if it was a long while ago, we tend to either forget it completely or remember certain details and fill in the blank space with other mismatched memories."  
  
"I know that, Dad, but these memories are coming back entirely, and there's just something off about them.  In fact, I shouldn't even be able to remember them."  Phineas explained as he got out some cinnamon raisin bread, eggs, and milk.  "They're all about my biological father.  Some I can understand, like him and me walking through the park, or getting sea salt ice cream together.  Those are just pieces, things that make sense to remember.  But, then there's some weird ones, like the day he died.  I can recall everything in that scene clearly.  The scent of the rain, and the way the sirens flashed against the water...I remember all of it."  
  
"But, Dad just up and left one day.  He didn't die."  Candace said as she leaned against the threshold.  "I don't know who you're thinking about, Phineas.  Besides, I barely remember anything about that day."  
  
Phineas absentmindedly poured some milk into a bowl, which already had eggs in it.  "But, then what am I remembering?  Candace, what happened the day Isabella moved to Danville?"  He started to break up the yolks with a whisk.  
  
"She didn't move here."  Candace replied.  "Isabella was born here."  Phineas put the whisk down in silence.  "Phineas, are you feeling okay?"  
  
"What's wrong with my memories...?"  He whispered softly.  He lifted the whisk again to beat the mixture together, but just stared at the egg yolk dripping off the twines gently.  
  
"Sounds like corruption to me."  Ava said, walking in past Candace, startling her.  "Yep, a textbook case of memory corruption.  Sadly, I have no clue how to get rid it.  Sorry."  She gently took the bowl and whisk from him and began whisking away.  
  
"Morning, Ava."  Candace said.  "What are you doing here?"  
  
"You know Ava?"  Phineas asked.  
  
"Sorta."  Ava replied, putting cinnamon into the mixture.  "We met for a little bit when I went over to a 24-hour drugstore to pick up some more composition books for my Story.  I'm actually working on a new one right now."  
  
"And what were you doing there, Candace?"  Laurence asked.  He got up and got out a small frying pan to put on the stove.  
  
"Um...you don't really need to know that...heh..."  Candace said nervously, looking at the boys.  She got out a small can of non stick spray and sprayed the pan with it.  She set the pan down back on the stove and turned the burner on.  
  
"Oh, so you've just met."  Phineas said.  "I like your new outfit, by the way.  Casual, but preppy, right?"  Ava was now wearing a form fitting black crop top that just fit over her breasts with silver trim, a pair of black high-waisted shorts, and her knee high boots.  Her hair was tied up with black lace in its usual twintails.  
  
"Right on the nose.  And thank you for noticing."  Ava said as she dipped a piece of bread into the milk and egg mixture and slapped it into the pan.  
  
"You sure like the color black."  Candace observed.  Compared to the others, she stood out in a dark and somber way.  "Um, any reason as to why you wear it all the time...?"  
  
Ava shrugged and turned around to face the teen.  "I dunno.  I was kind of born into the darkness, I guess.  I didn't accept the ways of the dark, of course, I just feel more comfortable embraced in it."  
  
"I see."  Candace muttered as she flipped the bread over.  "That's very interesting..."  
***  
  
Emily laid in her bed, looking at a section of wall.  It appeared to ripple with some kind of strange force, moving ever so slightly and pulsing with her heartbeat.  But, it also drew her in, an invisible claw wrapping around her and pulling.  She had been resisting the force calling to her, but it was soon proving to be a challenge to not ignore the voice whispering her name, especially the way it tugged at her hair, gently brushed her fingertips, trying every way to get her to move closer.  
  
Emily finally sat up, the voice only growing stronger.  Inching her way off her bed, Emily soon found to no longer have control of her body, and let the claw wrapped around her do the work for her.  She slid off the bed with ease and touched the section of wall when a high pitched scream filled the air, causing a series of smoke-like tendrils of darkness to shoot up and surround the girl.  She screamed and tried to get away, only to find them everywhere, clouding her vision and causing to stumble.  
  
That was when her father, Cedric Kinney, ran in and saw what was happening.  He yelled something, causing a bright aura to emanate and beat inside Emily, the darkness receding from where it came from.  When it finally cleared out all the way, Cedric walked over to his daughter and embraced her.  Confused, Emily hugged him back, not quite sure what had happened.  
  
"Promise you won't get close to the dark like that again, Emily."  He said, trying not to cry.  "Promise me that you'll always stay towards the light, my darling..."  
  
"I don't know if I can promise that, Dad."  Emily whispered back.  "I don't know if I belong to either one, the dark or the light, or even the twilight in between.  I don't...really belong to anything..."  She broke from the hug and stood up.  "I'm sorry, but this is my path, and I must follow it on my own..."  With those words, she silently left the room and headed towards the Flynn-Fletcher house.  
  
She needed answers.


	8. Chapter 7:  Research of the Story

Misti walked into Ava's room after she left.  It was a small room, with only a nightstand, bed, and mirror hanging on the door as its main furnishings.  It was also filled with several composition books, all with different colors and stacked neatly, the same colors being in the same stacks.  
  
She sighed.  There had to be at least five stacks of about an average of ten in the room, some being shorter than others.  Misti noticed that the composition book Ava had been carrying was blue, and there were only two other blue books in the room.  She decided to start with those.  
  
Blank, of course.  They were obviously spares, in case she ran out of room in the first one.  There wasn't even a name written on it yet.  
  
Misti stood up again.  Black had the most, with probably fifteen, green was the second highest with only about eleven, then red with ten, and yellow with five.  Since blue only had one written in it at the moment, it was probably the newest Story.  
  
She grabbed the composition book off the top of the black stack.  The last one, of course.  She started to dismantle the stack, being careful and observant about where she put each book and where she got them from.  Ava would surely notice even a slightest disturbance from her precious book.  She appearently got them all from "home,"  even though she never specified where "home" was.  
  
"Finally, the start of this Story..."  Misti whispered as she grabbed the last book lying on the floor.  Vince was fast asleep, but right across the hall.  She had to be careful about not getting caught.  She looked at the cover for the title.  " 'Give New Gifts, Give New Life,' huh?  Interesting..."  Misti began reading and was instantly intrigued.  It wasn't what she normally read, but it was still a good read either way.  Before she knew it, it had been a few hours later and she had the second composition book on hand for when she finished reading the first one.  
  
"So, we're spying on our new roommate, are we?"  Vince asked as he walked in, leaning on the doorway.  
  
Misti jumped and looked up.  "I just wanted to know more about this Story she kept talking about.  Hey, could you check out the green ones, or something else?  I want to know which one is our Story, and what's going to happen in it."  
  
Vince walked over the formidable looking stacks of books.  "It's probably the red ones.  Although, I don't think snooping in our Story will help us.  It might just make things worse in the future, you know.  We shouldn't look in that one...  So, you said to look in the green ones?  I'm guessing that the first one is all the way at the bottom..."  He added, looking down at Misti, surrounded by books.  She had put down the first one and was starting the second.  Vince moved the stack to the side and grabbed the first before moving them back.  
  
"What's yours called?"  Misti asked as she turned another page.  
  
"Um, the writing's kind of smeared on the cover."  Vince said.  He opened the book anyway.  "It's fine on the inside, though..."  He read the first page, then closed it.  "Can we switch?  The very first scene is kinda...bloody.  Very bloody."  
  
"How so?"  Misti asked, still reading.  
  
"Um...the scene was describing...something weird, let me read it again real quick..."  Vince replied, gingerly opening the book.  
***  
  
"Well, then, Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today!"  Phineas said, smiling.  They were under the tree, Isabella trying to look over Ava's shoulder as she wrote.  Emily walked into the backyard, Buford, Baljeet, and Irving in tow.  
  
"I heard that somebody's already thought up their big idea for the day."  She greeted them.  "So, what do you have planned?"  
  
"Well, I was just looking at Ava and how content she looked while writing, and I thought, what if we made a machine to act out whatever we wrote in a giant glass sphere above us, so we could watch whatever we wrote like a movie?"  
  
"That sounds like a great idea!"  Isabella said, smiling.  "I think it'd be cool."  
  
"It would require several advanced mechanics of string theory, physics, and mechanics, but it should be no problem at all."  Baljeet said.  "By the way, Phineas, you've been avoiding my question who the girl writing underneath your tree is since last night."  
  
"Oh, yeah, you did ask that, that's right."  Phineas said.  "So, what'd you want to know about her?"  
  
"Who is that chick, dude?"  Buford asked.  "Why is she always hanging around you and stuff?"  
  
"My name is Ava."  Ava said behind them.  The boys jumped and turned around.  "I'm a travelling writer, and I've decided to spend a few weeks here at Danville."  She smiled politely.  "It's very nice to meet the three of you."  
  
"Oh, yes."  Irving replied.  "I'm Irving, and that's Buford and Baljeet."  He pointed to the two of them in turn.  "I wouldn't have taken you to be a travelling writer, though.  Don't writers dress a little...colorful...or creatively?"  
  
"My writing style's quite dark."  Ava shortly said.  "I guess you could call me a goth, maybe...  I'm not sure, really."  
  
"You're quite young to be travelling on your own like this."  Buford said.  "Or, at least, you _look_ young."  
  
Ava laughed.  It was a light, pretty laugh.  "Well, yes, yes I am quite young to be doing this.  I'm only sixteen, after all.  My parents died when I was younger."  
  
"Oh, I see."  Baljeet replied.  "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"  
  
Ava looked as though to say something, but then stopped and looked down slightly.  "Um, no, no siblings.  None at all..."  She looked up and clapped her hands lightly.  "Well, don't we have a project to start?  We should finish it while we still have the morning, so we can enjoy it all afternoon."  She looked around a little.  "Oh?  Hey, where's Perry?"  
  
"Oh, so you've told her about Perry, too?"  Baljeet asked Phineas.  "That's nice of you."  
  
Ava mouthed the words 'I did recon' to Phineas, and Phineas nodded in reply.  "Yeah, I did.  She came here a little earlier in the morning and saw him, so I explained to her that he usually disappeared during the day and such."  He stood up and walked over to the garage.  "I'm going to get started on the blueprints.  Buford, why don't you help Ava get situated, and the rest of you guys can get parts."  Ferb followed him, and they began sketching out their plans.  
***  
  
Perry walked over to the couch,  looked around, and satisfied,  crawled underneath it, putting on his fedora and found a small button.  He pressed the button, then waited.  
  
Nothing.  
  
Perry went to press it again when a large hole opened up beneath him, causing him to fall down sharply.  Holding onto his fedora, the secret agent flipped backward just in time to hit a small slide, which dropped him in his secret headquarters, two steps away from his chair.  Perry glared slightly at Major Monogram, who was already on the screen.  
  
"What?"  The major asked.  "Oh, yes, about that.  We thought we had it calibrated correctly, but I guess we were just a little off..."  He blinked, Perry still standing beside his chair.  "S-sit down, Agent P., please.  You know how nervous it makes me when you're just...like that."  Perry sighed and obeyed.  "Thank you.  Ahem, Dr. Doofensmirtz has recently been purchasing books on mechatronics, wiring and programming, alliteration, and cuddly animal mascots.  This is certainly not a good combination.  You know what to do."  Perry saluted and left through his hovercar, heading over to Doofensmirtz's.  
***  
  
Candace greeted Stacy as she walked through the front door when she answered it with a hug.  
  
"Somebody's in a good mood today."  Stacy said.  "Nice armband.  Oh, hey, how'd your date with Jeremy go?  I heard something weird happened at the mall."  
  
"Yeah, it did."  Candace said as the two girls walked up the stairs together.  "Though, to be honest, I don't remember what happened all that well.  I remember finding this armband, then seeing Phineas, but then, everything just kind of got really hazy.  When I could concentrate again, I was back in my room, laying on my bed.  Apparently, Jeremy carried me up to my room."  
  
"Aw, that's so gentlemanly of him!"  Stacy said.  They entered Candace's room, and Stacy grabbed Candace's computer.  "You're so lucky to have such a knightly boyfriend."  
  
"I think the word is 'chivalrous,' Stacy."  Candace corrected.  "And by the way, what's that supposed to mean?  You and Coltrane are getting along well, right?"  She gently took the computer away, entered the password, and gave it back.  
  
"Well, yeah, but I mean...well, you know..."  Stacy cautiously said.  "You don't think Jeremy was trying to...you know, _do_ something?"  
  
"No!"  Candace protested.  "No, he would never do that.  I know you're watching out for me, Stace, but honestly, Jeremy really isn't that type of guy.  Wait, why'd you ask?  Coltrane didn't do that to you, did he?"  
  
"No, but, he was ready, and I wasn't really ready, and then he just got really quiet all of a sudden."  Stacy explained.  "I apologized, at least ten times, and to his face, too!  Then he just held me really, really close and was all like 'I don't want to rush you,' and all of that.  I mean, what do I do to make up for that?  I mean, I want to be responsible about this and all, but if wants to, and I don't..."  
  
"Then he can just wait."  Candace responded, sitting in her windowsill.  "If he can't, dump him right then and there."  She turned her head to outside the window.  "In the meantime, I have another issue to deal with, and I don't mean my brothers...but they are going to be busted today.  I can feel it..."  
***  
  
_Doofensmirtz Evil Incorporated!_  
  
Agent P leapt off his hovercar, which neatly parked itself a few feet away, and walked in through the balcony, where he was greeted by not Doofensmirtz, but by a small camera monitor, placed on a platypus-sized stand.  He looked into the camera, which instantly went black.  The agent looked around, slightly panicked, as he saw that the entire room was now dark, and an eerie face was looking at him from the corner, an equally eerie, but at the same time, happy sounding, music box playing over some speakers somewhere.  The music box suddenly stopped after a few seconds, however, and the sound of footsteps echoed from nearby.  
  
Agent P stood completely still, hoping that whatever was there, most likely Doofensmirtz, would pop out and grab him, and put him into a trap.  
  
He was half right.  
  
Whatever it was, it _did_ jump out and grab him, it just didn't put him into a trap, and it certainly wasn't Doofensmirtz.  
  
Instead, it was a giant robotic squirrel, and it held him tight as three other robot animals ran out of the shadows.  A cat, a beaver, and...Norm wearing a stupid looking bear costume that didn't even fit him properly, it looked like.  However, this was just as one of the robots pulled the curtains closed, rendering what little sight Perry had useless.  Before his sight completely faded, the platypus could tell that Doofensmirtz probably hadn't them wired them correctly, as they all looked quite insane.  
  
"I'm here to make sure nothing bad happens to whoever we capture."  Norm said happily, oblivious to the other robot's somewhat crazed looks.  It especially wasn't helping that the squirrel was starting to hold Agent P a little _too_ tightly.  He let out a nervous chatter and lightly slapped his tail on the robot's torso.  Unfortunately, it was mostly hidden due to it being behind him, and up, so it just resulted in the squirrel hugging him tighter.  
  
"We're going to have such a fun time."  The squirrel said happily, spinning around in a circle.  "Our new friend is going to be such a good edition to the band!"  To Agent P's surprise, the squirrel was a girl, her voice bright and bubbly.  
  
"I agree, Syd."  Another robot said.  It was still dark in the room, and the only one who probably couldn't see at the moment was the one who was captured.  Either way, it was a make, and its voice sounding especially cartoonish and goofy sounding.  It was already beginning to drive Perry up a wall, and it was more evident when it continued talking.  "But you know we have for the boss to get back.  What if this is the thing he was having us capture?"  
  
"Aw, you're no fun, Barry."  A third voice piped up.  Another girl.  Her voice was slightly more sassy, almost teenager-like, than the other's.  A cold robotic hand touched Perry's hand, and he shivered.  "One little morsel is all we want..."  
  
"We could share that little morsel, too."  The squirrel added.  "I mean, he's _so_ tiny, and we're _so_ hungry..."  
  
"Well, let's for the boss, and then we can all have a little morsel together."  Norm said.  The three other robots agreed.  
  
Perry hoped that Doofensmirtz would hurry up.  He missed his nemesis, and wanted absolutely nothing to do with these robots.


	9. Chapter 8:  "We're Still Here..."

Misti and Vince sat on the floor of Ava's bedroom, Vince still staring at the first few pages of the Story he had chosen to read.  
  
"This is highly disturbing..."  Vince whimpered.  Misti finally grabbed the book from him and started reading.  It only took a her a few lines to put it back down, slightly pale.  "Do you see what I mean?"  
  
"The one I'm reading had slight gore, but nothing at...this level..."  Misti said.  "I mean, listen to this part..."  She picked up the book again, about to read a part aloud, when she dropped the book, covering her ears and letting out a small scream.  
  
_Don't read it aloud...never read the Story aloud...lest you want to die..._  
  
Misti blinked, her ears ringing.  She barely heard the words over the earsplitting loud static and screams.  
  
"Misti, are you alright?"  Vince asked.  He looked around slightly.  "Maybe we should put all of these back.  I don't like this...I'm constantly getting the feeling of being watched."  Misti nodded and started stacking the composition books back up.  "Come on.  I want to monitor them for a bit.  Their powers are still slightly weak, but they should be getting stronger soon.  We should run some tests later today, as well."  
  
"Or, maybe you're just anxious to get out this house."  Misti said, pushing the stack back to where it belonged.  "Away from these Stories..."  They left Ava's bedroom, Misti closing the door behind them.  She sighed and leaned against the wall, holding her head slightly.  
  
"Misti, are you alright?"  Vince asked he turned around.  She tried to take a step forward, but collapsed and fell onto the floor, her husband by her side in an instant.  No response in any way.  This was no fainting spell, it was something else entirely.  
  
He picked her up and rushed her out to the van, where he began hooking her up to some of the machines, monitors blinking on and revealing nothing.  Clearing a low table, Vince laid Misti on it and got into the driver's seat and took off towards the old lab; he knew that the hospital was out of the question because nothing had really caused her to be this way.  
  
Nothing known to regular humans, at least.  Vince and Misti both thought of themselves as being irregulars, seeing things that normally couldn't be seen.  
***  
  
" ' "But we're still here," they called out.' "  Ava read aloud to Melissa, who had joined Isabella on the way back from getting parts for the machine.  The Lil' Spark had took an immediate liking to Ava, and her Story.  " 'The person right in front of them still didn't notice their presence.  "We're still here," they said, "and we're alright.  Why can't you see us?"  
  
" 'The sound of footsteps grew louder, and someone said behind them, "They don't notice you because you can't be noticed.  You are now on a separate plane of existence from them.  The only thing you can do is watch them live their lives, and watch them slowly forget you and your lives you once held."  Through the smoky haze, the girl walked towards them and grabbed their hands.  "You two made this sacrifice so the others could return safely.  I'm sorry you have to go through this tragic fate, but it's better than what could've been, don't you think?" ' "  Ava turned the page and smiled softly.  Melissa had fallen asleep, leaning on her arm.  She whispered the last few lines quietly, moving softly to not wake her.  " 'And so, the two smiled sadly at their friends, said goodbye, and walked back, knowing that they would never have their voices reach them again.  They lived silently in that other world, and got along well, and watched their friends grow without them, but were perfectly content with knowing they were safe.' "  
  
Ava slowly got up and walked over towards the boys, on the ground working on the base.  The Fireside Girls were working on the sides, using cranes to get them to the places they couldn't reach.  
  
"Wow, this looks amazing so far."  She said as she walked around.  "You guys weren't kidding when you said that this was going to be a pretty big project."  
  
"Actually, this one is quite tame in terms of size."  Baljeet said.  "Ask Irving, he has pictures of every project we've done this summer."  
  
"Well, I might've left the scrapbook at home today..."  Irving said nervously.  
  
"That's fine."  Ava said.  "I've heard about your travelling around the world on the Summer Solstice from when I was in Tokyo.  I can kind of imagine the scale of your inventions from just that."  
  
"Oh, so you must know my cousins, then."  Ginger said from where she was.  "Or did you just hear it off the street?"  
  
"Off the street."  Ava replied.  "Sorry, Ginger, I don't think I bumped into any of your cousins when I was there."  
  
Ginger only shrugged slightly in response.  Ava looked at her curiously, then shrugged as well, everybody starting to work on the project.  
***  
  
"So, what's this game you got for me called again?"  Candace asked.  She clicked on the icon.  " _Six Nights at Susanne's_?  I don't think I've heard of it."  
  
"Well, it just got released a couple of weeks ago, so it's pretty new.  Open it in windowed mode.  You have a good quality webcam, right?"  Stacy asked, opening other files and checking a few things.  "But, anyway, it's this really cool horror game Ginger showed me the other day.  I'm not exactly sure how it works, but it seems to be pretty fun!"  
  
Candace sighed slightly.  "So, what's with all the other things up?  Wait a minute, you said this was a _horror_ game?  Stace, you know I'm not good with stuff like that..."  
  
"Yeah, well, nether am I, but I really have nobody else to play this game with, I really don't want to play it alone, and besides, if we film it, I could put it on the Internet.  You'd be like, an Internet celebrity."  Stacy replied.  "I'm going to do a sound test real quick."  
  
"So, if I do well at this game, then I could be famous on the web?"  Candace asked.  "Oh, wow, I'd love that!"  
  
"Yep, that's the plan anyway."  Stacy replied, checking the volume settings on everything.  "Now, Candace, in order for us to do well at this, I need you to not get distracted by your brothers.  I don't want to play this anymore than I already have to."  
  
"Well, it's not Phineas and Ferb I'm worried about, it's that Ava chick."  Candace responded, looking out her window.  "She has such a strange air about her...but then again, so does Emily..."  
  
"Yes, but you like Emily."  Stacy pointed out.  "So, what makes Ava so different from her?"  
  
"I think it's the way Emily and Ava hold themselves."  Candace explained.  "Emily walks around like she's trying to reach a higher place than she's already at.  As if there's some thing she's tries to reach out for, but can't.  In fact, it's almost as if she's given up on that goal entirely.  Ava on the other hand, walks as if she's _already_ reached that place Emily's trying to get to."  
  
"But, why exactly does this affect the way you see them?"  Stacy asked.  "What is this place Emily's trying to get to?"  
  
"I'm not sure, myself."  Candace said.  "But, it's a strange feeling I'm getting whenever I'm around her.  It's like...a feeling that is unfamiliar, but nostalgic in a way at the same time...  Does this make any sense?"  
  
"Um, kind of, I guess...?"  Stacy replied, slightly confused.  Candace just sighed tiredly.  
***  
  
Dr. Doofensmirtz finally arrived in his lair a few minutes after Perry had gotten there.  
  
"Okay, and now that I've done that, it should work..."  He said, and flipped on the light switch.  The lights turned on, and the robots smiled at the evil scientist once they saw him.  
  
"Oh, you have Perry the platypus!"  Dr. Doofensmirtz said as he walked towards them.  "Good job, animatronics.  Sorry I couldn't greet you, Perry the platypus.  The power in the building's been on the fritz, and quite limited to each apartment, so each time I use too much, I have to walk, actually _walk_ , by the _stairs_ , to the basement level and change the generator's battery.  So, it takes me quite a while to go all the way down to the basement, then find the generator, find the battery, then change it, and go all the way back up to this floor.  I'm getting quite a workout, though!  So, I guess that's a pro to all those cons, or cons to all those pros, or whichever one it is.  Anyway, animatronics, Norm, walk with me."  
  
The three animatronics and Norm looked at each other, then followed Doofensmirtz over to a rather large laser, with old pizza cardboard cutouts and an old paper plate doll stuck to it.  The label on it read, "Haunted Pizzaria-Inator."  
  
"Behold, the Haunted Pizzeria-Inator!"  Doofensmirtz yelled, pointing at it.  "So, the backstory behind this is--"  
  
"Sir, you spelled 'pizzeria' with an 'a' instead of an 'e'."  Norm pointed out.  
  
"Yes, Norm, I know, but I can't change it because the paint hasn't finished drying yet."  Doofensmirtz said.  "Great, now you interrupted me in the middle of my backstory.  Let me start again."  He cleared his throat.  "So, the backstory behind this Inator is that lately my daughter, Vanessa, you know her, Perry the platypus, you don't know her, animatronics, you haven't met her yet.  See, see how this is confusing, Norm?  I'm talking to Perry the platypus, who probably knows all this already, and then I'm also explaining it to the animatronics, who are completely new.  It's really confusing."  
  
He sighed, getting back on topic.  "Anyway, lately Vanessa's been playing this game lately, I forgot the name of it, but she's been getting me slowly hooked on it, and I was thinking, 'hey, there's a pizzeria right across the way.'  You see, the pizzeria in the game isn't that great.  Something about missing children, and possessed animatronics who want to stuff you into a suit to be like them, I think..."  He tapped his chin slightly.  "So, I was thinking, if I can cause those events to happen in real life, then the police would have to get involved, right?  Make it a little worse, and the mayor, my brother Roger, would have to get involved, as well. Then, I show up with a solution to the situation, and everybody will love me so much they'll just give me the Tri-State Area!"  
   
Perry rolled his eyes, looked around, then pointed to something behind Doofensmirtz.  
  
"Huh?"  He asked, then looked in the direction the agent was pointing.  "Oh, that...right."  It was an old looking animatronic, slumped in a sitting position in only dark the corner in the lair.  "To be perfectly honest, I bought these guys off the Internet.  I had to do the wiring and programming and everything, too.  It was such a pain to put together, but in the end, that golden guy didn't have an endoskeleton, so I just left him in the corner over there.  He looks really creepy right there, though, but I can't ouch him.  The other animatronics, and Norm, for some strange reason, you know you're not actually an animatronic, right, get really mad if I even get close.  I think something might be just a bit off in their programming..."  
***  
  
"Hello, people of the Internet!"  Candace said as she waved to her webcam.  "I'm Candace, and this is my best friend Stacy."  Stacy waved and smiled.  "We're going to be playing a horror game today, and it's called _Six Nights at Susanne's._ I'm already regretting this.  Look at the main menu, Stacy, this is creepy.  Like, really, really creepy, already, and I haven't gotten into the game.  I suck at horror stuff.  I don't like being scared..."  
  
"Well, today, you're going to have to be.  Let's start, shall we?"  Stacy asked, and clicked on the "new game" button.  "Ooh, nice office."  
  
It was indeed, a nice office.  Two wide doorways were on either side of the office, with two buttons on the walls next to them, labeled "door" and "light".  In the center of the room was a large desk, with a series of monitors on it.  A wide window was also on the wall the desk was on, completely clean.  
  
A phone started to ring, startling the two girls.  They looked at each other, as if the other would have the answers.  Two rings.  
  
"Can we pick up the phone?"  Candace asked.  She started moving the cursor around.  Three rings.  "I'm not seeing a phone around...Stace, please talk!  It's creepy when you're so quiet."  
  
"Sorry, it's just I wasn't sure when the phone call would come in."  Stacy replied sheepishly.  
  
Candace was about to ask her what phone call she was talking about, when halfway through the fourth ring, there was a click heard from the game, and a meek, shy-yet-trying-to-sound-confident male voice started speaking.  
  
_"Um, hello?"_   The voice said.  There was a prominent twinge of shakiness in his voice.  _"Hello, hello...um, well, welcome to Susanne's Pizza.  Uh, since this is your first day and all, there's a thing I'm supposed to read you.  It's from the company, and um, a sort of...legality contract, I think...?  I was just told to read it aloud for the new employees..."_ Candace and Stacy looked at each other again mouthed the word "what?"  
  
The voice from the phone cleared his throat as he flipped through some papers.  _"So, here goes...  'Welcome, insert employee name here, to Susanne's Pizza!  We hope you have an exciting and enriching time working at our establishment, as you move forward into the amazing career field of owning-slash-managing a restaurant.  This restaurant is not responsible for any of the following:  Lost or stolen items, missing items-slash-people, damaged equipment-slash-people, amputation of person, death or injury of person-slash-loved ones, development of schizophrenia and-slash-or severe paranoia, and dismemberment-slash-any other form of violent torture-slash-death._  
  
" 'Upon discovering any of the above, any precautions will be taken, and upon discovering the death of person or persons, a missing person report will be filed within ninety days, or when all bloodstains-slash-body parts have been completely and properly removed from the premises.'  Blah, blah, blah, more legal stuff that's not really important.  Now, that might sound a bit...alarming _...but I assure you myself, I haven't seen anything that's wrong here.  In fact, I'm working on my last week before I transition to day shift right now, and everything is perfectly fine at the moment."_  
  
"I doubt anything's fine with this place."  Candace said.  "That was a lot of stuff that's very wrong with this place."  She moved the cursor to the bottom of the screen and jumped slightly.  "Hey, Stacy, I found a camera function.  So, do I, like, watch them on this thing?"  She flipped through all the cameras and then went out of the camera.  
  
"Yeah, and make sure they don't get close to the office and kill you."  Stacy said.  
  
The guy on the phone continued talking.  _"So, the only thing that's a concern for you as the on duty night guard is that sometimes, the animatronics kind of...wander around the place at night.  It's nothing too major, it's just that...well, they, um, probably won't, um, see you as a person.  More like an endoskeleton.  Um, you know, those things inside the costume controlling them.  Now, the only problem with that is that it's against the rules to not have a costume on if you're an animatronic at Susanne's, so they'll try to...um, place you inside a suit.  Forcefully.  With animatronic parts that'd probably shred you to ribbons.  So, the doors are there to prevent them from getting in.  But, since our budget is limited, we have to conserve power at night, so don't have them down all the time._  
  
"Well, I've probably talked long enough, so I'll just leave you to it.  The first night should be easy, so I'll talk to you tomorrow."  There was short pause, then the guy on the phone came back.  _"Oh, wait, before you do anything else, I have to tell you about the music box.  There's a music box_ _in one of the rooms, I forgot which one, and it's rigged to be remotely wound up.  Keep it wound.  You don't want to know what happens when you don't wind it up.  Trust me.  Well, I think that's all I need to tell you about.  Goodnight, and hope to see you tomorrow!"_  
  
There was a final click, and then silence filled the room.  
  
"So, um, I think our first priority should be to find this music box that guy was talking about."  Stacy said after a while.  "We have about seventy percent of our power left, and it's been two a.m. for a while now.  I think we're fine for now...oh my gosh, somebody's already moved!"  
  
Candace snapped out of her dazed, surprised look.  "What, where?  Where are they?  Are they close?"  
  
"On the camera!"  
  
"Oh, my gosh, I see them!  What do we do?"  
  
"I'm not sure.  Look for the music box?"  
  
"Is that going to be your answer for everything?"  
  
Stacy flipped through the cameras, then gasped.  "The cameras are out!"  
  
Candace looked at the screen frantically.  "Which ones?"  
  
"ALL OF THEM!  And we still haven't found the stupid music box.  Where's the music box at?  We need to wind it so we won't probably die!"  
  
A loud, eerie groan sounded from the game.  
  
"...What was that?"  Candace asked.  
  
"I'm not sure, and I don't know if I want to even find out..."  Stacy whimpered.  
  
The groan came again, slightly louder.  
  
"I'm scared..."  Candace said softly.  
  
The screen went back to the office to reveal one of the animatronics, a cat with torn ears and one of its eyes hanging out of its sockets in front of them, swiping at the air towards them before the screen turned to static and a game over screen.  
  
"What was that?"  Stacy asked.  "I can't even comprehend what happened, it escalated that quickly."  
  
"Well, I'm pretty sure we just died to a horribly mutilated cat robot."  Candace said shortly.  
  
"I...I get that, but...!"  Stacy tried to explain, then started to laugh.  "You know what, that was pretty fun.  Let's try again!"  
  
Candace smiled.  "Yeah, let's!"  
***  
  
Phineas, Ferb, and the others stepped back to admire their handiwork.  The machine had a small sphere in the middle with a small desk, a ladder leading up to it.  On the top, was a large projector screen.  Several large sets of wires bunched together lead everywhere, and it looked to be a complicated machine, indeed.  
  
"Wow, this looks amazing!"  Ava said happily.  "I'm also surprised that we finished it ahead of schedule.  So, who's going to try it out first?"  
  
"Well, it was your idea, Ava, so I think you should go first."  Isabella said.  The others nodded, and Ava was soon ushered into the small sphere above the ground.  "Put the helmet on and start writing."  
  
Ava looked around for the aforementioned helmet and found it sitting on top of the desk.  It was a kind one would normally see for bicycles, the ones that looked giant bowls on people's heads, except this had a series of cords around it.  She put the helmet on, and it instantly started glowing.  Cords wrapped around her arms, and the size shrunk so it was just the right size for her head.  
  
"Okay, I think I'm set."  Ava said.  There was a small microphone in the side of the helmet, and a smaller projection screen in front of her.  "So, should I start writing now?"  
  
Her answer was a sharp movement from the sphere she was in to the right.  Another sphere appeared where hers used to be, and Isabella climbed up into it.  
  
"Wait for us, first, Ava!"  She said, putting on a helmet herself.  "I'd say we should all write a story together."  
  
Ava smiled.  "Yeah, I'd love that."  She hadn't written a story with anybody since she was quite young, and loved the feeling of accomplishing something so simple, and so beautiful.  Then, her powers emerged, and it seemed as if nobody wanted anything to do with her.  
  
Now, she knew what it was like to have friends, true friends, to stick by her, no matter what.  
  
She never wanted that good feeling of the day to end, but knew it would have to eventually.


	10. Chapter 9:  Possessed Writings

Vince carried Misti into the old lab, then placed her into a small pod, which softly lifted her up into the air, keeping her suspended there above a blue light.  
  
Vince looked around.  For it not being used in almost seven years, it was still in pretty good condition.  There were a few broken windows here and there, and some of the older equipment was dusty.  But, other than that, everything else was in pretty good condition.  Even the electricity was still on.  
  
"Do you need something, young man?"  A gruff, old voice asked.  Vince looked up to see an older man walking towards him.  
  
"I'm sorry, sir."  Vince apologized.  "I was unaware that this lab was still in use."  
  
"Yeah, it is."  The man said.  "By you.  What're you doing here?"  
  
"My wife is in grave danger."  Vince replied.  "Some kind of darkness has entered her body, and it's corrupting her.  I just need the lab so that she can be in suspended animation until I can extract the darkness."  
  
The man looked at Misti, then sighed heavily.  "That darkness isn't going anywhere anytime soon, my boy.  That's a special kind of darkness, designed to destroy what it seeks.  If you can find who created this darkness, you could remove it, but for now, your wife's going to be in suspended animation, probably for quite a while."  
  
Vince scoffed and started to say something, but stopped.  He nodded, and left, sitting in the van in silence.  
  
After a while, he finally spoke, letting his words swirl in the air around him.  
  
"She couldn't have possibly done this, right...?"  
***  
  
Candace stuck her head out her window just when Phineas and the others were starting to get busy writing.  they were in several different pods in a circle, their faces on the top of the projection screen.  They chatted to each other when they heard the red head yelling.  
  
"Phineas, Ferb, what're you doing?"  She asked, moving her curtains to the side.  "Argh, you stupid curtains, move already!"  
  
"Hi, Candace!"  Phineas greeted.  "You've been busy.  You usually wonder what we're doing earlier."  
  
"I've been a little distracted."  Candace explained.  
  
"Candace, there's something running down the hall!"  Stacy said, panicking.  "I just saw something running down the hall at us, and we're dead again!"  
  
"What?"  Candace asked.  "Running....they can run at you now?!"  
  
"I guess so!"  Stacy answered.  "That was the cat, too, so I guess it can kill you two ways."  
  
"Anyway, what are you doing so I can tell Mom and bust you?" Candace asked her younger brother.  
  
"We decided to make a device that records our words and turn them into movies, which will appear on this screen."  Phineas explained.  "Wanna try it?"  
  
"I have a feeling Ava had a part of this."  Candace replied.  
  
"Yeah, she was our inspiration for this."  Isabella piped up.  "Why?  Does that matter to you, Candace?"  
  
"I'm sure it does."  Ava said coolly.  "I can tell that she doesn't trust me very much.  The reason to why she doesn't remains a mystery to me, though."  
  
"How come you don't trust Ava?"  Emily asked, twirling her pencil.  "She's kind enough, and she really isn't as mysterious as she seems to be once you get to know her."  
  
Candace was silent.  "That strange air about has transferred itself to you, Emily."  
  
Emily thought about what she had said, then nodded softly.  "Perhaps it has, or maybe it was with both of us all this time..."  
  
"Yes, perhaps you didn't notice it until you first met me."  Ava added in.  "I have been told that I do have a quite interesting aura."  
  
Candace shook her head.  "No, it's not your aura I'm concerned about.  It's when Emily and you came back from wherever the heck you two were last night.  I think something followed you, and got into your aura.  It's affecting you.  Slowly, but the aftermath will be definite.  It'll never leave."  
  
Ava smirked.  "My, my, somebody's quite observant.  When did you learn to read people's auras like that?  Even I have trouble sensing corruption on that scale."  Ava looked up slightly.  "That armband...where did you get it?"  
  
"I found it.  Yesterday."  Candace replied.  "When the earthquake hit."  
  
"I see..."  Ava mused, leaning back slightly.  "So, when they found the necklaces, you found the armband.  We have a Changer around here, then...I'm surprised I didn't see it when I was doing recon..."  
  
"A Changer?"  Isabella asked.  "What's that?"  
  
"And what's this about recon?"  Irving asked.  Buford and Baljeet agreed.  "Were you spying on us or something?"  
  
"Alright, Dinner Bell, who exactly is this Ava chick?"  Buford asked Phineas, who in turn recoiled slightly at his harsh tone.  "You're not telling the whole story here!"  
  
"Why are you hiding things like this from your own close friends?"  Baljeet demanded.  "All we want to know is who she is, and you won't give us a straight answer!"  
  
"You guys, there's some strange people here, and they have weapons."  Gretchen said, adjusting her glasses slightly.  
  
Ava looked down at the ground and cursed loudly.  "Sorry.  I really, really can't stand these people."  She enlarged her picture on the screen.  "What do you want, you ba...idiots?  I see the major isn't with you either, how typical."  
  
Phineas, Ferb, and Isabella looked down and saw the man with long dark blue hair and the young woman with navy blue hair in a ponytail from the previous day standing in the backyard, the man holding a thick book in his hands and the woman with a small belt of grenades around her waist and a couple of heavy duty sniper rifles strapped to her back.  
  
From the previous day, their clothes were quite different.  Both had worn a heavy black cloak, like the one Ava had, with the hood off, but now, they wore different clothes.  The man wore a loose fitting black robe, like one that a mage or wizard would wear.  The woman wore a black tight fitting tank top styled shirt, going down only to cover her breasts, and a lighter gray vest going down to her belly button with baggy camo pants and black combat boots.  
  
"What are they doing here?"  Isabella asked Phineas.  Phineas shrugged in reply.  
  
"You know what we want, Songbird."  The woman said, holding out her hand.  "I'm surprised you managed to gain their trust so quickly."  She clenched her outstretched hand into a fist, and everybody fell to the ground, the spheres opening up.  "Now, give me their power."  
  
Emily gasped and sank into her seat slightly.  Phineas, Ferb, and Isabella sat up a little straighter and took off their helmets slowly.  
  
Ava shook her head.  She attempted to say something, but quickly closed her mouth.  
  
The woman stepped forward, smiling.  Everybody was too shocked to say anything, or even move.  She gently tilted Ava's head up, her fingers brushing her chin.  
  
"I didn't think you'd have the heart, or should I say, _lack_ of heart, to do that to them."  She purred.  Ava's eyes slowly turned black and opaque.  "I wasn't confirming if you'd already done it, I was asking you to do it now."  
  
"Stay...away..."  Ava finally managed to whisper.  "Please...stay away from me...."  
  
"What's that?"  The woman asked.  "Did something attach itself to you again?  You poor thing..."  Ava knocked the woman's arm out of the way quickly as her hand trailed up the side of her face.  "Such aggressiveness...this is something new even to me."  
  
Isabella slowly started to stand up.  Phineas saw her and motioned for her to sit down again.  
  
_I can't control my powers..._   Isabella thought.  _But, I have to fight, for my friend...that's they do for you, after all, right?  Don't friends fight for you, even in the most dire of situations?  
  
_ Emily nodded softly, as if in agreement, and Ferb just looked up in confusion.  
  
Phineas gasped softly when he saw this and realized what had happened.  He had heard her thoughts in his head, and Ferb and Emily had, as well.  _Isabella, our thoughts...they're connected.  I guess all four of us can communicate telepathically now.  
  
_ The three of them nodded and agreed when they heard this.  
  
_We can form a plan this way, unless, of course, the enemy can hear our thoughts._ Emily thought-spoke to them.  _And if they can, they're staying pretty quiet about it._  
  
The four of them were silent for a while, the gears in all their minds turning rather quickly.  All of them forming a plan of attack, yet staying rather quiet about it, blocking out everybody from their thoughts.  
  
"Aeor..."  The woman said softly.  "These pests have been silent for a while.  In fact, let's make them even quieter, shall we?"  
  
The man, Aeor, nodded and opened his book, the words glowing on the page as he muttered aloud some of the words.  Everybody except for Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, Emily, Ava, and Candace slumped over, unconscious.  Candace cautiously stepped out of her window to the roof, hanging on the sill slightly.  
  
"They're protected."  Aeor said to the woman.  "Shall I do the usual?"  
  
"Go ahead."  The woman sneered.  "Except the Songbird.  The Songbird's mine.  But, I'll leave you to kill the rest.  Have fun."  
  
The four on the ground scattered, and the one left on the roof stood still, horrified.  Phineas ran around to the front of the house, Isabella rushed towards Ava, and Ferb and Emily ran to the center of the yard.  
  
Isabella summoned a sword, sparking with lightning, and plunged it into the ground, sending several shockwaves through the backyard.  Ferb created shields of wind around everyone, and Emily linked her and Ferb's necklaces together, which caused a bright flash to emerge, sending them away from the others, into a world filled with empty auras.  
  
The woman dodged Isabella's attacks, and pulled off her belt one of the grenades.  Isabella gasped, and kicked it out of her hand and sent it flying into the air.  She ducked as the grenade exploded, and Phineas leapt through the smoke and flames from the roof, brandishing a bow and arrow, and shot at Aeor.  
  
Aeor nearly got hit by the fire arrow, but sidestepped it just in time to avoid being shot in the arm.  Phineas landed on the ground and shot again, this time for his other am, then his leg.  Aeor dodged the one going for his arm, but got hit on his calf, causing him to fall to the ground, the fire burning his skin.  
  
Phineas put away the bow and switched out for Ferb, who ran towards Aeor, only to get pushed away forcefully to the side.  
  
"I've got it!"  Phineas said.  "Aeor's blind, but he can see auras.  That's why he couldn't see my arrows.  Be careful around him!"  
  
"He can probably use magic, as well."  Emily said.  "Let's get that book away from him."  
  
The others nodded, and set out on a new strategy.  Emily leapt into the air, Ferb using his wind manipulating abilities to keep her aloft.  Isabella kept low to the ground again, attacking the woman straight on this time, with her sword.  As Isabella attacked her, Phineas ran towards Ava and ushered her to the front yard, away from most of the fighting.  
  
Emily levitated in the air, her hair blowing about her when she felt a strange light surround her.  Her appearance changed again, this time with her hair long and free flowing white, and wearing a long white dress.  She summoned a beautifully curved ivory bow, with ivy leaves on the wood and a white lotus flower on the top, which slowly turned into a light pink flame.  She pulled back the string and fired, an arrow made of pure light piercing the ground in front of Aeor and sending large shockwaves through the air and engulfing everything around them in a bright light.  
***  
  
Doofensmirtz grumbled as he walked towards the Haunted Pizzeria-Inator, still annoyed by Norm's eccentric behavior.  
  
"Well, let's charge this baby up!"  He said, laughing.  He flipped the switch on the side of the machine, and there was a sudden popping sound, and the lair grew dark once again.  
  
"I...forgot...how much power this Inator used."  Doofensmirtz said after a while, sighing again.  "Norm, you're in charge of the animatronics.  Animatronics, no biting!  Or eating, for that matter.  I'm going down to the basement...again..."  
  
However, just as the evil scientist reached the door, a large pillar of light shot through the air, parts of the light beam flying in other directions, one of them being right towards the Haunted Pizzeria-Inator, which caused it to shatter into several small pieces.  
  
"What?!"  Doofensmirtz exclaimed, running towards the smoking remains of the machine.  "My Inator...it's ruined!  Gone!  What the heck is raining from the sky?"  
  
Small orbs of light, like rain, were falling from the sky to the earth slowly, gently.  The animatronics dropped Perry and walked towards the balcony to see the light rain.  The agent followed, and saw that they weren't the only ones to see it.  Several people had stopped what they were doing to look at what was happening.  
  
One of the animatronics, the beaver, lifted his hand to catch one of the light orbs.  A soft glow went through his body, and he smiled.  
  
"I feel...lighter, somehow..."  He said.  "It's like all the darkness has escaped my body..."  The other animatronics and Norm nodded.  Doofensmirtz lifted out his hand to one of the light orbs and felt the same way, as well.  
  
"It's like all the resentment in my heart has been taken away from it and sent away to never be seen again..."  The scientist mused.  "Well, Perry the platypus, I guess you really have nothing else to do today, unless you just want to hang out for a bit.  Vanessa's supposed to come by later today, you know..."  
***  
  
Vince saw the light rain from inside the van, and instantly knew what it was.  He ran back inside the lab, unhooked Misti from the machines, and brought her out to the front steps.  A few light orbs fell on her, and she slowly opened her eyes.  
  
"Cleansing Rain..."  Misti whispered softly.  Vince nodded and embraced her.  "She...used the Cleansing Rain..."  
  
"Their powers are growing stronger than they did before..."  Vince replied.  "But, I'm still worried about what happened to you.  There's definitely something wrong with Ava...if she actually is able to do that to you, then there's something that all of us are missing about her..."


	11. Chapter 10:  Truth Among the Lies

Emily slowly drifted to the ground, transformed back into her regular appearance, and laid on the ground, unconscious.  Ava shyly came back into the backyard just as everyone was waking up from the spell.  Aeor and the woman were both nowhere in sight.  
  
"They fled as soon as Emily shot her light arrow."  Ava explained to the three who were fully awake and on the ground.  She turned to Emily and softly muttered,  "You need to learn how to control your powers, and fast.  If you were able to use that move, then..."  Her voice trailed off and she sighed.  "This Changer...they're strong.  Really strong.  I mean, they shouldn't able to find me after I took off the cloak..."  
  
"But, what exactly is a Changer?"  Phineas asked.  "You never answered that earlier.  I mean, yes, we were interrupted, but, still..."  
  
Ava turned towards Phineas, then stopped, looking at something behind him, her eyes wide with a complex expression of horror and some other emotion he was unable to identify.  Phineas looked behind him, only to see nothing there.  
  
"Ava, are you okay...?"  Phineas asked quietly.  She didn't answer, she only stared at that same spot, then sharply looked at the ground, her hands shaking slightly.  "Ava, what did you see?"  
  
"It...it doesn't matter!"  She snapped, still looking at the ground.  "It doesn't matter what I saw!  You...you don't need to know.  You should never know what I saw!"  
  
Phineas backed away slowly from her, then helped some of the Fireside Girls get back onto their feet.  Everybody was confused as to what had happened, and where their invention had gone, but Phineas just said that there was some sort of malfunction and it blew up, and the explosion had caused everyone to be temporarily unconscious due to the fact that the mechanisms had something similar to a sleeping gas inside them.  Isabella jumped in to say that Emily was still unconscious because she had tried to rescue everyone from the machine after the four of them had escaped.  
  
Neither of them liked lying to their friends about what had happened, but it was necessary to protect them.  Especially since the people who had tried to kill them earlier, the Riddlers, most likely knew that they were connected to the holders of the Elements.  
  
When Phineas looked back at Ava a little while later, he could've sworn he saw tears running down her face.  
***  
  
Later that day, when everyone had left, Vince and Misti came over.  Emily had also woken up by then, and they were all glad to see the scientists.  
  
"Hey."  Misti said quietly.  "We're here to run a few tests and see how your powers are developing.  Emily, since you've already used so much energy already, you can just take it easy, alright?"  
  
"So, I'm guessing you know what that light rain was?"  Isabella asked.  "It was...very interesting.  As if all the darkness was slowly being taken away from my heart somehow."  
  
"Well, that's what it's supposed to do."  Vince explained.  They followed him to the van, and he opened the back.  "That ability is called Cleansing Rain, and it sends down orbs of pure light to cleanse people of the darkness of their hearts.  Of course, Phineas and other people who have nothing but darkness in their hearts are an exception to it, unless their minds are corrupted, too."  
  
"So, it affects people with darkness in their hearts, and light in their minds..."  Emily mused.  "How interesting..."  
  
Ava nodded softly, as well.  "The Riddlers attacked us.  That's why Emily used the Cleansing Rain.  It was because she was surrounded by so much darkness in her Hope Forme, and she formed a pillar of light that dissolved into the Cleansing Rain to get rid of them."  
  
"Thank you for telling us that, Ava."  Vince said.  "We're going to be heading over to the lab we used to use, before the government decided to snoop around and we had to relocate.  It's still in good condition.  I checked on it just this morning."  
  
The five friends nodded, and climbed into the back of the van.  Meanwhile, Candace, still on the roof, sat there, wondering what exactly had happened.  She knew she had climbed on the roof for something, she just couldn't exactly remember what had happened to cause her to go up there.  She just simply shrugged and climbed back through her window, startling Stacy, who was waiting beside her computer patiently.  
***  
  
Vince hooked up Phineas to some machines first, and found a clipboard to write down on.  
  
"So, why was the government snooping around this lab?"  Phineas asked.  "Was there something going then?"  
  
"It was rumored that we were trying to make some kind of supervirus."  Misti explained.  "However, it was nothing like that, of course."  
  
"But, they just could've asked, or interrogated some of the other scientists, right?"  Isabella asked as she was hooked to some machines by Misti.  "I mean, if it was just a bunch of rumors, then it could've been easily proven wrong, right?"  
  
"It's illegal to do human testing."  Emily reminded her friend.  "They would've gotten into trouble just because of that.  That fact that we were just little kids back then is even worse."  
  
"I suppose..."  Isabella said lightly.  "Though, this was for the good of humanity overall.  If the government could've just understood that, then maybe..."  
  
"You really can't argue with politics and the such, Isabella."  Emily replied calmly.  "My father's a detective, so he knows that firsthand.  Many a time has he had to turn his back on who he trusted to get to the truth.  Several being politicians."  Isabella just nodded softly.  "I know you're the peacekeeper out of the four of us, but still, trying to avoid confrontation like this entirely...I suppose that's why you couldn't handle the power of the dark."  
  
Isabella looked up sharply.  "What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
Ava shook her head from where she stood, leaning on a pillar.  "I think what Emily's trying to get at is that you're too kind.  Too naïve to handle the dark that would fester inside your heart and destroy you in the end."  
  
"What?"  Isabella asked, then turned to Emily.  "You think I'm naïve?!"  
  
"Well, in the situation that Ava was describing..."  Emily nervously said.  "You're very...well, not naïve...but maybe, aloof, about the darkness around you."  
  
"Aloof?"  Isabella shot back.  "That's worse than naïve!  I'm aware of the dark!  In fact, I'm not scared of the dark, either, unlike somebody else I know!"  
  
Emily held out her hand, her eyes glowing darker, and summoned a long sword, white cloth strips of some sort wrapped around it.  She got into a fighting stance, using both hands to hold the sword.  
  
"She's not supposed to do this in her neutral form."  Misti said worriedly.  "She's not supposed to summon weapons and the sort, not like this..."  
  
Isabella took a deep breath and unhooked herself from all the machines, needles and wires flying around her.  She summoned a lightning sword and charged towards Emily.  Emily blocked her blows and swept the sword underneath the brunette's feet.  Isabella used the sword to get leverage and jumped into the air, plunging straight down when she was right above the blonde.  
  
Emily leapt to the side swung the sword around again, hitting Isabella with the broad side of the sword, causing her to crash into the far wall.  She shakily got up and charged again, only to be blocked by a shield of darkness.  She let out a large wave of ground sparks, which Emily dodged, and Isabella broke through the shield, then leapt into the air again, staying in the air by a pair of cool gray wings, shimmering and transparent.  
  
"How...?"  Vince asked, awe struck.  "Their powers...they've gotten much stronger...so much stronger than we anticipated they would."  
  
Isabella was knocked out of the air by Ava, who was shot by Emily by some sort of light beam.  
  
"What the...?"  Isabella asked as she realized what had happened.  "What was that for?"  She lessened on her aggressiveness when she saw Ava clutching her side slightly.  
  
"I'm fine."  Ava said.  She pulled her hand away to show that it her side was perfectly fine.  "I just wasn't expecting that to happen, is all."  
  
"Isabella's wings, or my light beam?"  Emily asked as she walked over.  
  
"Um, both."  Ava answered.  She stood up and patted Emily's shoulder slightly.  "I think something followed us from that world.  What it was, however, I have no idea."  
  
"Why do you think that?"  Phineas asked as Vince unhooked him from the machines.  
  
"Emily's aura shows signs of manipulation.  She shouldn't have been able to do any of that in her neutral form."  Ava explained.  "I'm probably going to have to go back in that world to do some recon there.  See if I can find any more Storytellers that know of any threats that stem from there."  
  
"Oh, yeah, you mentioned doing recon earlier today, as well."  Phineas said.  "Something about Changers, as well..."  
  
"You're quite persistent about finding out Changers, aren't you?"  Ava asked.  "Very well, then.  We have been getting interrupted all day whenever the subject comes up, so I suppose I owe you an explanation."  The four kids and two scientists walked over to her and formed a circle around her.  "Changers are regular humans who have the ability to manipulate the Story.  Several don't know of what they're doing, but a small handful are aware of their ability.  Either way, though, they're still highly dangerous, and they all need to be terminated upon initial discovery, to prevent corruption of the Story."  
  
"But, they're just regular people!"  Isabella protested.  "How could you stand to do something so horrible?  Isn't your heart corrupted with darkness from that?"  
  
Ava shook her head.  "Didn't you hear what Andressa, that woman with Aeor, said to me?  I don't have a heart.  I can't really feel emotions, I only mimic them.  So, in short, I guess you could say that I'm...used to death, in a way."  
  
"I...see..."  Isabella muttered.  
  
"But, I thought it was impossible for someone to live without a heart."  Emily replied.  "They just kind of change into a sort of form of either pure darkness or pure light."  
  
"Yes, that's what most commonly happens."  Ava explained.  "However, there will sometimes be a by-product of sorts, that becomes a person without a heart.  Because of this, they can't be seen by normal people.  But, I was artificially made, purposely made without a heart."  
  
"Why was that?"  Phineas asked.  "I mean, it doesn't make any sense."  
  
Ava sighed, then straightened her glasses slightly.  "You ask the good questions, Flynn."  She took off her glasses and threw them to the side, shattering them on the floor.  "I'll give you that for one thing about you.  You know what to do to get the truth out of someone."  
  
"And what does that mean?"  Vince asked, grabbing the boys.  Misti held onto the girls, both hesitant with making sudden movements.  
  
"The reason why the Riddlers are so persistent in getting me back is because I was created by them to be a weapon."  Ava said, grinning evilly.  "A weapon to infiltrate the fortress of the Storytellers for this universe and take over from the inside.  That's why my powers are so unnaturally strong, and that's why I need all of you alive.  To steal your powers and use them against the other Storytellers."  She summoned two short range three pronged swords.  "And now that you know my secret, I have no choice but to kill you."  
  
With those words, Phineas broke free of Vince's grasp, and Ava lunged towards him, Phineas summoning a fire sword.  That was when a bright light engulfed him, and when the light died down, his clothes were different.  He now wore a plain long-sleeved gold tunic with white trim and black pants.  His eyes were glowing an icy blue, and his weapon had changed into a long staff, a red orb on the top of it.  
  
Ava paused for a moment, then got back into an attack stance.  Phineas leapt back and shot a long stream of fire at her, which she dodged and watched as the wall she had been standing at slowly burned, the wall also catching.  
  
"Doesn't this seem familiar to you?"  Ava asked, her eyes glowing a misty grey.  The fire started receding.  "Doesn't this remind you of that night we first met, five years ago?  When you chose the path of the light, but betrayed it and went back to your nature of the dark?  Your anger fuels that darkness, which in turn fuels your power.  That's why you have a never ending hunger for the dark, a hunger that never gets sated.  You, Phineas, turned your back on what path you chose for your own nature, and that cost you dearly.  But, the difference with other people and yourself is that you have a light that shines within you, and that's what caused this to occur.  Your Effulgent Forme."  
  
"Effulgent Forme..."  Phineas whispered, and his eyes stopped glowing.  He summoned away his staff, and he returned to his normal appearance.  The wall had nothing but a giant black mark on it from the fire.  "So, this was a test, wasn't it?  To see how we'd react to a traitor among us?"  
  
"Exactly!"  Ava said happily.  Her eyes topped glowing.  "You catch on pretty quickly.  What, did you guys really think I was actually a weapon for the Riddlers?"  She laughed at the other's shocked faces.  "Like that was the truth!  It's actually pretty far from it, because I really have no idea why I was born without a heart.  I just...was, I guess.  Maybe we'll find out one day.  Who knows for sure, though, right?"  
  
They agreed, and the rest of the tests were continued without incident.  Both Isabella and Ferb were unable to unlock their first Formes, but Ava assured them that it was fine like that.  Other than that comment, though, she was completely silent, searching throughout the world of the Storytellers, looking for an answer to what might've followed her and Emily into this world.  
  
After about half an hour, they left the lab, Ava still being silent.  She walked into her room, sat on her bed, and continued searching throughout the world of the Storytellers, her hair flowing softly around her and she began to glow softly.  
  
"Nobody's...there..."  She slowly whispered.  "Why can't I find anyone?  Where did they all go?"


	12. Chapter 11:  Which Side Matters More?

Cedric stood up as he heard a key in front door unlock it, and Emily walked in.  He walked over to her, smiling softly.  
  
"Glad to see you back, Emily."  He said.  "I was just in the middle of making dinner.  Garlic chicken alfredo, your favorite."  
  
Emily smiled tiredly.  "Thanks, Dad.  Sorry I'm a little late again today, I was showing our new friend Ava around Danville with the others, and we just lost track of time a little.  I didn't worry you, did I?"  
  
Cedric nodded slightly, then frowned.  "What side is your new friend Ava on?"  
  
"I don't know, she's probably a neutral, like me and Ferb."  Emily said as she took off her shoes and placed them by the door.  "Why does it matter if my friends are of the light or of the dark?"  
  
"I just don't want them influencing you to go down the wrong path."  Cedric replied as he walked back into the kitchen and began stirring in pasta in a pot of boiling water.  "And you know which side I want you to be on, after all."  
  
"Why won't you believe me when I say that I don't need a side to be on?"  Emily protested.  "I'm not of the light, the dark, or even the twilight in between!  I'm just here, watching the light and the dark destroy each other, and not joining in."  
  
"That's impossible!"  Emily's father shouted, clutching the wooden spoon in his hand tightly.  "You...you can't not have a side.  If you aren't one of the light, or the dark, or even the twilight in between, you can't truly exist.  It means you don't have a heart!"  
  
"Well, maybe that's because I don't!"  Emily shouted back.  "What's wrong with me not having a heart?"  
  
"Your mother lost her heart to the dark."  Cedric growled.  "I was worried the same would happen to you this morning.  Lured in by something dear to you, only to have you lost to the darkness, your heart stolen from you.  She was just a mere puppet, a lifeless thing that couldn't do anything for itself!"  He tuned around.  "You have a heart because your mother gave up hers for you!"  
  
"Is this...is this about the Elements Project?"  Emily asked, taking a small step back.  "Are you trying to find out my power this way, and what side I'm on?"  
  
Cedric took a step forward.  "Where did you hear about the Elements Project?"  He grabbed her arm before she could even have a chance to react, and pinned her to the wall.  "How did you find out about that?  Rebecca and I...Rebecca and I destroyed all the research files on you.  There's no way you could've found out about that wretched experiment."  
  
"Vince and Misti..."  Emily said, writhing and twisting to get out of her father's grasp.  He only tightened his grip on her.  "Vince and Misti are here in Danville...and our powers are slowly emerging...they've just been dormant all these years."  She turned into her Despair Forme, and Cedric let go of her as she ran out of the house, going back to her regular appearance.  Her father quickly followed after her.  
  
"But, that's impossible."  Cedric protested.  "Your powers should've never been like this!"  He flinched as a strong wind blew through the street.  
  
"They were changed, so I remained neutral, true to my nature."  Emily said, staying perfectly still as the wind tugged at her clothes and hair.  "I can now control the light and the dark to my advantage."  She gasped as she noticed black tendrils of darkness crawling on her skin.  Emily tried to shake them off, but it only made things worse, and she was soon engulfed in darkness, her eyes becoming cold gray dots, her body in silhouette, smoky trails of the dark coming off her, like a stray aura.  
  
Cedric backed away, frightened.  "What..."  He whispered, trying to not show what he was feeling.  "What on earth is this...?"  
***  
  
Ava stopped looking through the Storyteller's World and instantly noticed that there was something off about the aura of her Stories.  She ran out of her room to find Vince and Misti sitting at their small dining table, eating dinner.  
  
"You two went through my Stories, didn't you?"  She asked.  
  
"Told you she'd find out eventually."  Vince said to his wife, who just scoffed at him.  "So, Ava, would you like to sit down and join us for some dinner, or are you just going to stand there and glare at us?"  
  
"Which ones did you look in?"  Ava asked, growing slowly impatient.  "You didn't look in this one, did you?"  
  
"No, we made sure to not even touch that Story."  Misti said as she ate some more of her rice.  "I looked through the really long one, and Vince attempted to read the rather gorey Story that neither of us could even get past even the first page."  
  
"Wait, you read Give New Gifts, Give New Life?"  Ava demanded, incredulous.  "That Story had a curse on it!  If anyone read it for too long, they would be overwhelmed by a tremendous force of darkness that would eventually destroy them!"  
  
"That's where the Cleansing Rain came in."  Vince replied.  
  
"No, the Cleansing Rain can't stop it."  Ava explained.  "It basically resets and slows down the progression of it, but it doesn't get rid of the darkness.  Why would you go through my Stories in the first place, for that matter?  You didn't read it aloud, did you?"  
  
"No, something told me not to..."  Misti said.  "But, I just wanted to know what was so important that you would keep such a tight lidded secret.  You never talked about your Stories in detail, after all."  
  
"So, in other words, you don't trust me."  Ava accused.  
  
"I'm not saying anything like that!"  Misti protested.  
  
Ava suddenly turned around, distracted by something.  "Hold on.  I need to investigate something real quick."  
  
"What's that?"  Vince asked, standing up.  
  
"There's an overwhelming scent of darkness coming from somewhere."  Ava said softly.  "Somebody's become fully corrupted, and I think I know who that is."  She walked towards the door, then stopped.  "Don't even think about following me, okay?  I'll be right back."  She ran back into her room, grabbed her black cloak, put it on, and walked back towards the door again.  She stood in front of the door, took a deep breath, and held her hand out.  A large portal, a black and blue swirling vortex, opened up in front of her, and she ran through, the portal closing right behind her.  
  
Vince and Misti were silent for a while, then went back to discussing how the reboot of the Elements Project was going, with everybody's powers becoming stronger than they thought they would.  Misti knew that Ava was hiding something, but didn't want to bring up the subject to Vince.  
  
They didn't need words to say that they knew something was up with their new roommate.  
***  
  
Vanessa Doofensmirtz walked into her father's lair to find it completely dark.  
  
"Um...what's going on in here?"  She asked, looking for a light switch.  As she found one, she heard a music box play faintly nearby.  A flurry of heavy footsteps shuffled around her, and she got into a fighting stance.  "I know that melody..."  
  
As the squirrel animatronic, still holding Perry, flew towards Vanessa, she kicked its lower torso, causing it to recoil back from her.  The platypus was finally free of her grasp, and ran towards Vanessa, who quickly closed the door as soon as he crossed the threshold.  
  
"Wait, where's Dad?"  The teenager asked, looking around.  "He's still not in there, is he?"  As soon as she said this, she saw the evil scientist walk up the stairs onto the penthouse landing.  "Okay, he's safe."  
  
"Oh, Vanessa, you're finally here!"  Dr. Doofensmirtz greeted as he took her bags to the side and hugged her.  "Why are you just sitting outside the door?  I just had to step out to reset the power for, like, the hundredth time today."  
  
"Something just tried to attack me when I walked in, that's why."  Vanessa explained as they walked back into the penthouse.  The animatronics and Norm surrounded Doofensmirtz when they saw him.  
  
"Oh, we didn't know she was with you."  The squirrel said.  "We thought she was an intruder.  So, we went to try to capture her, but she kicked me, and I lost the other guy we had captured, too."  She looked down and saw a small dent on her breastplate.  "Oh, I'm a little dented now, too..."  
  
"That's fine."  Dr. Doofensmirtz said calmly.  "You didn't know, and besides, it's probably time for Perry the platypus to be going now.  My -Inator did, after all, thwart itself, in a way, so..."  
  
Perry nodded, chattered, tipped his hat to Vanessa, and left, hopping into his hovercar and driving away.  Once he was out of view, Vanessa turned to her dad.  
  
"Are you insane?"  She asked, putting her hands on her hips.  "You do know those things tried to kill me, right?"  
  
"Well, I'm sorry, I just needed them for my -Inator, and I didn't know how to tell them you weren't a threat."  Dr. Doofensmirtz explained, flustered with the sudden aggression.  
  
Vanessa only got madder.  "You...you didn't know how to tell them?"  She yelled.  "Facial recognition chips.  Show them a picture.  Tell them that I'm coming over and to not attack anyone who walks through the front door!  It's really simple when you just think about it."  She looked over a small section of the room.  "And what's that thing sitting on the floor over there?"  
  
"Why is everybody so concerned about the animatronic sitting on the floor?"  Doofensmirtz exclaimed.  "Everybody's wondering what it is, I can't even touch it, there's no endoskeleton....  What's so important about a random golden animatronic sitting on the floor in the only dark corner of the room?"  
  
"Wait, it's gold?"  Vanessa asked, astounded.  "And there's no endoskeleton for it, either?"  
  
"Yes, that's what I said."  The evil scientist said.  "I don't think I could find one in the packaging."  
  
"Dad, where did you get these animatronics?"  Vanessa asked, her eyes widening in a mysterious mix of fright and excitement.  
  
"Um, I just got them off the Internet.  And for really cheap, too."  Dr. Doofensmirtz replied.  "Why?  What's so special about these things?"  
  
"Whoever first got these things had a really good reason to, that's why."  Vanessa answered, looking at the golden animatronic leaning against the wall.  "And I have a feeling that after tonight, you'll want to sell them back, as well."


	13. Chapter 12:  Riding on the Wind, Riding Towards the Past

Emily felt herself slip away as she watched the darkness spread throughout her body.  She closed her eyes, and fell straight down, now surrounded by a world of murky gray shadows.  Her arms were in the air, and her hair flowed around her softly, as if she was suspended in midair.  A soft aura pulsed around her, moving to her heartbeat.  
  
_Take a step forward._ A voice said to the blonde in her mind.  _Do you see how hard it is?  
  
_ Emily tried to move, but was unable to.  It was as if her legs were tied together somehow.  
  
_The twilight is a conflicting area._ The voice continued.  _But, you could control it, if you chose a side.  This side.  
  
_ "The twilight is not for me."  Emily said.  "It just leads into the dark.  It never arrives at the light."  
  
_So, you are afraid of the dark, then?_ The voice asked.  
  
"No, I'm not."  Emily answered.  "But, I don't shy away from the light, either."  
  
_So, you choose the twilight, after all._ The voice remarked.  _Or, is it that your heart is conflicted?  That there's both light and dark inside?  
  
_ Emily was silent for a while, then smiled softly and replied, "No, what I'm saying is I'm quite tired of hearing your voice.  I don't need a side to function.  And I have a heart, at that."  She let out a long stream of both light and dark from her hands, and continued to fall forward as the world around her collapsed, and she scrambled to get ahold of something to break her fall...  
***  
  
"Emmaline?  Emmaline, wake up!"  A voice said to Emily.  "You don't want to be late today, or you might just end up being accused yourself, you know!"  
  
Emily opened her eyes to find herself on a rough pallet of some sort, stuffed with hay.  A girl slightly older than her was kneeling by her, shaking her gently, her shoulder length chestnut brown hair loose and wild.  
  
"Oh, good, you're awake."  She said.  "Well, I'd better get dressed, and we'll leave to go the square together.  Don't dally now!"  
  
Emily sat up and looked around.  The entire room was dark, save for a bit of light from a candle.  She brushed her now extremely long hair from her face and saw that it was more of a dirty blonde than anything.  A much darker shade than her own hair.  
  
_What's going on here...?_ Emily thought, and found a long dress hanging on a small nail.  It was a pastel green color, with long sleeves with lace on the trim.  Next to it was a pair of breeches, a laced corset, and an emerald green cloak.  A bonnet hung on another nail nearby.  
  
"Oh, by the way, you left your bonnet on my hook again."  The girl from before said, walking in, now dressed in a light pink long sleeved dress.  She tied her own bonnet around her neck.  Emily calmly looked at her in silence.  "Oh, you need help with your corset again, huh?  Here, turn around..."  Emily turned around, moving her hair out of the way, as the girl grabbed her corset and started lacing it for her.  "Honestly, Emmaline, you're such a bother since Mother and Father died.  At least do something for yourself, you know.  Find a nice boy to court, or something meaningful!"  
  
Emily sighed as she put on her breeches and dress.  "I'm sorry."  She turned to the girl again.  "Could you help do my braid?  Just the beginning, I can do the rest."  
  
The girl nodded and began to braid her hair, as Emily found a matching ribbon to go with her ensemble.  Once they were done, Emily tied on her bonnet, and they left their house, if it could even be called that.  It was just one large room, with a small section for their beds, and an iron stove, with a large stack of firewood next to it, and a small bucket for water to be used for washing and cooking.  It wasn't even dawn yet, and there were still stars in the sky as they walked along.  
  
"So, remind me, what's the meeting in the town square for again?"  Emily asked as they walked down the dirt path.  She had no idea who the girl, who she could only presume was her sister, was, and she guessed her own name was Emmaline, but other than that, she knew nothing about what was going on in this place she was in.  
  
"Is something wrong, Emmaline?"  The girl asked.  "You're usually sharper than this.  The meeting's for a trial, to see who's wielding an element or not.  The king ordered this to be done quite a while ago, because he doesn't want any traitors among us."  
  
"I'm sorry."  Emily apologized again.  "I suppose I'm still asleep."  
  
"You obviously must be."  The girl responded, then looked behind her and bowed.  Emily turned in her direction and saw a regal looking horse drawn carriage coming towards them.  She followed the girl's response and bowed, as well.  
  
The carriage slowed to a stop and out stepped a man in dark purple and gold trimmed robes.  A crown hung on his head slightly lopsided, his curly auburn hair framing his face perfectly.  He looked to be no more than twenty, and he had a kind, warm smile on his face.  
  
"Your Highness."  The girl said, rising.  Emily got up, as well.  
  
_This...is the king?_ Emily thought.  _He's so young, though...at most, I'd expect him to be a prince.  But, why would someone with such a kind face want to kill people with elements?  We're doing nothing wrong, right?  What's wrong that caused all this?_  
  
"Emmaline."  The girl said sharply.  Emily looked up, shocked, to find the king laughing at her softly.  
  
"My, my, Mistress Emmaline, you seem to be your own little world this morning."  He said.  His voice was light and deep, with a slight hint of an accent similar to Emily's.  "Thinking's a dangerous game, you know."  
  
"How so?"  Emily asked.  His heart wasn't steeped in darkness, but rather, slowly being filled with it, in a way, was what she had realized.  But, it didn't make any sense for it to be.  
  
"Thinking causes the mind to corrode, to break away what you already know."  The king explained.  "Thinking causes your heart to be conflicted, and then you're stuck wondering if the choice you made was good or not."  
  
"No, you're thinking purely with your mind then, not your heart."  Emily said.  "Your heart knows what to do, but its conflicting with your mind.  You get confused, and eventually, do nothing in the end.  It's the reason why so many people end up surrendering to the dark.  They're lost and confused, and the darkness just keeps beckoning to them, and taking them away..."  
  
The king and the girl Emily was walking with looked at her silence.  
  
"I'm sorry, I must really sound like an idiot, just saying all that weird stuff, huh?"  Emily suddenly said, hands in the air and waving them frantically.  "I was just saying what I thought, and...and...um..."  She laughed nervously.  
  
"No, I don't think you sound like an idiot."  The king replied after a while, walking towards her softly.  "But, you do sound like someone with elemental power.  They are the only people who think the way you do."  
  
Emily seemed to lose control of her body as she stepped back, then let out a wide of arc of wind at the king and the girl, knocking them back.  She ran off, away from the town and them, running through what seemed like endless fields of wild wheat.  As she untied her bonnet and threw it to the side, she laughed as she ran, never feeling more free than she was in that moment.  
  
That was all she wanted then.  Just to simply be free.


	14. Chapter 13:  Who to Trust

Ava ran out of the portal she had created to Phineas and Ferb's backyard.  She ran into the house, pulling off her hood, startling everyone at the table.  
  
"Ava, what are you doing here?"  Candace asked.  
  
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I think there's something going on with Emily."  Ava replied.  "I was thinking that she might only listen to her close friends, so..."  
  
Phineas nodded.  "Come on, Ferb, let's go.  Ava, you get Isabella.  Do you know where Emily is right now?"  
  
"At her house."  Ava said.  She walked towards the front door.  "I'll meet you guys there.  Hurry!"  
  
The boys left the table and went to the garage to grab their bicycles when Candace stopped them.  
  
"Are you two going to be alright?"  She asked.  "A lot of weird stuff has been going on lately, and I really don't want to see you get hurt."  
  
"We'll be fine, Candace."  Phineas said.  "I'm just worried about Emily.  She's our friend after all.  I wouldn't want anything to happen to her, especially with everything going with her right now."  
  
Candace nodded after a while.  "Alright.  Good luck.  Please come back safe, okay?"

Phineas and Ferb nodded back solemnly after a while, then got onto their bikes and rode down the street as fast as possible.  
  
They just hoped that they could help Emily out as fast as they could.  
***  
  
When the boys arrived at Emily's house, they were astounded by what they saw.  Cedric Kinney was fighting with the best of his abilities a shadowy silhouette of Emily, trails of darkness flowing every time she moved.  
  
"What happened to her?"  Isabella asked as she came up to the boys on her own bike, Ava standing on the back.  
  
"She's been mostly corrupted by darkness."  Ava explained as she got off and summoned her card deck.  "This forme is called her Anti Forme, but it's surprisingly rare for anyone to get it.  Either way, though, she's completely encased in darkness."  
  
"Alright then, looks like I'm going to have to learn to use my light magic then!"  Isabella said, and threw down a series of electrified shockwaves towards her friend.  Emily looked towards her, and leapt towards Isabella, who blocked the incoming attack with an electric shield.  
  
Ava rushed over to Cedric and helped up back onto his feet.  "You're going to have to get out of here.  We can handle it from here, just go!"  Ava looked through her deck of cards, pulled one out, and tossed it to Isabella.  "Isabella, use this card on yourself."  
  
Isabella caught the card, and as she held it, was encased in a bright light.  When the light died down, she was holding a glowing lance, and wearing a short white dress with a lightning bolt shaped brooch on the top of the neckline.  
  
Emily summoned her own sword, a short sword with several lines running through it.  She charged towards Isabella, then did a downward slash when she was no more than ten feet away, the sword breaking apart in many chained segments.  Isabella dodged, but got hit when Emily swung the sword back in her direction.  She stumbled backwards slightly, only to get hit again.  Isabella blindly threw a lightning bolt in Emily's direction, and a second one joined in with hers, knocking her to the ground.  
  
Aeor stepped out of the shadows, wearing his black coat.  He knocked Ava out before she could react, knelt down by her, and removed something from her aura.  He walked over to Emily and did the same thing to her, and she returned to normal.  
  
"You're welcome."  He said, and opened a portal.  
  
Phineas ran over to him.  "W-wait!  Why'd you help us?  I thought we were enemies."  
  
"Perhaps we are."  Aeor replied coolly.  He closed the portal suddenly and picked up Ava.  "One of you, grab your other friend and follow me.  There's something else here.  Some other powerful form of darkness."  
  
Ferb picked up Emily in his arms and they ran through the deserted streets until they reached a small alley.  After a while, Aeor put Ava on the ground.  
  
"You should be safe here for a while."  Aeor said.  He looked at the teenager with a slightly sad expression on his face.  "I'd be careful with trusting that girl if I were you.  She's often known to...not follow the rules at times."  With those words, he opened a portal, walked through it, and left.  
  
Emily woke up after Aeor left, confused and slightly dazed.  She asked what had happened to her, but everyone else was distracted by what Aeor had said to them.  
  
They were now unsure of who to really trust, and which side they were fighting on.  
***  
  
Emily returned home to find a container of garlic chicken alfredo in the fridge and a note saying that her father went to bed early, and to heat up the food for dinner.  She sighed, and put some of the food in the microwave.  While she waited, she thought about what had happened.  No one would tell her what exactly what had happened, and she just left and went home without any answers.  
  
This, to her, was perfectly normal, though.  She just always walked through life with several unanswered questions.  For example, why exactly did she and Cedric move to Danville?  Cedric never explained why they had to leave London, just that they were leaving, and going to Danville.  Whenever Emily asked why, her father would just dodge the question and say something else in response.  
  
But, that was just one piece of a much larger puzzle involving her father and his mysterious past.  He never really talked much about what happened to him, or even how he and her mother met.  
  
Emily pulled out her necklace from inside her shirt and looked at it when she heard the microwave timer beep.  She grabbed her food from the microwave, ate it, and went to bed, but didn't fall asleep until much later, her thoughts about unanswered questions and secret keeping not letting her fall asleep.  
***  
  
Candace woke up in a cold sweat, panting and gasping for air.  Once she was able to breathe normally again, she looked at her clock.  Three in the morning.  
  
She rolled over on her side and tried to fall asleep, but she was too awake to do so.  Candace finally gave up on any thoughts of sleep, and decided to go out for an evening bike ride to clear her head.  She got changed into her regular outfit, found a light coat to put on over it, and started pedaling on her bike.  She didn't care about her destination, she just wanted to get away.  
  
Candace stopped biking when she reached the heart of the downtown area.  There were still a few places open, mostly small 24-hour drugstores and the such.  However, she didn't need to go into a store.  
  
The reason why Candace stopped was because of the large cloud forming over downtown, ominous and stinking of darkness.  
  
Wide eyed and fearful, she turned around and went back home, biking as fast as she could.  She fell a couple of times, but didn't stop otherwise.  She parked her bike in the garage, ran up the stairs to her room, and just stayed there until morning came.  
  
She had a bad feeling about the future.


	15. Chapter 14:  Late Night Chat

"What're you doing up, Candace?"  Phineas asked as she entered the kitchen.  It was a little before four, and she had been too fidgety to stay in her room.  
  
"I could ask you the same thing."  Candace replied.  "Couldn't really get back asleep.  You?"  
  
"Nightmares."  The boy answered.  "I was eventually too awake to fall back asleep again.  I'm making cookies in the oven right now.  Do you want any?"  
  
"Alright."  Candace said.  "I was going to make myself some warm almond milk with cinnamon and brown sugar.  Do you want some yourself?"  
  
"That'd be nice."  Phineas replied.  The oven timer beeped, and he pulled out a cookie sheet with chocolate chip cookies on them.  He put them on a nearby cooling rack and spooned out another batch from the nearby tub of cookie dough.  He put it in, and Candace got the pot of almond milk she had already poured onto the stove.  
  
"We don't usually do this as much anymore."  She absentmindedly said as she stirred the almond milk around with a wooden spoon.  
  
"We don't do what anymore?"  Phineas asked as he got out two mugs from the cabinet.  
  
"Just...talk."  Candace answered.  She got out the cinnamon and brown sugar.  "We barely actually sit down and have a conversation anymore.  You're too busy seizing the day, and I'm too busy busting you."  She took a cookie from the cooling rack.  "Mmm...you know, one of the best things ever are cookies just out of the oven.  They're soft and chewy, and they are amazing."  
  
"That was a random change of subject."  Phineas said, chuckling softly.  "But, yeah, we barely talk anymore.  Especially now, with everything going on and stuff.  I mean, everything was perfectly fine until that earthquake at the mall happened.  Now, our entire lives are thrown into chaos, and we have to decide whether to follow our nature, or follow our heart.  But, why do we have to pick a side?  Why can't we follow both?"  
  
"Because our natures and hearts are very different things."  Candace said calmly.  She poured the almond milk into the two mugs and topped it off with cinnamon and brown sugar.  The oven timer beeped again, and she got the cookies out of the oven for her brother.  "Sometimes the way our nature leads us is a path our heart doesn't agree on, and vice versa."  
  
Phineas nodded as he took a mug from the counter and some cookies from off the cooling rack.  "Yeah, that's the problem I have.  I just...want to search for it, but my heart's pulling me in towards a different direction."  
  
"Your light?"  Candace asked.  Phineas nodded again.  "It takes a long time to get back, you know.  You don't find your light in a day.  But, don't worry.  You're bound to find it eventually."  
  
"How do you know?"  Phineas asked.  
  
"Because, Phineas, even when you're in the deepest part of the dark, there's still light there."  Candace answered.  "Light will always be there, even if you feel as if it's gone completely.  Light will always be in dark, and dark will always be in light, both being there eternal."  
  
"You know a lot about this."  Phineas said after a while.  
  
"I suppose it's a thing that comes with age."  Candace replied softly.  "As I grew older, I lost my innocent views on the world.  I learned that there were more than monsters under the bed and scary shadows on the walls."  
  
"But, sometimes, those monsters under the bed and shadows on the walls are the things we need to hold onto, in order to hold onto our light."  Phineas stated.  "Innocence is light.  That's why...she doesn't want any of us to change.  Because it's better being an innocent, naïve child, than an adult who sees only darkness in the world.  Because we have something to hide behind to not have the dark swallow us and take us away."  
  
"But, we have to grow up sometime, right?"  Candace asked.  "We can't stay the same way forever, after all.  I mean, one simple thing can cause us to not be the same person we were after it, right?"  
  
"Yeah."  Phineas replied.  He took a sip of his drink.  "Yeah, you're right.  I mean, I'm not who I was at the beginning of summer now, and the same goes for you, too.  We have changed, but maybe for the better."  He put his empty mug in the sink and ran some water over it.  "My memories might be getting messed up, but it will make me stronger.  I'm sure of it."  He turned the water off.  "This was a really nice conversation, Sis.  We should do this more often."  
  
"Yeah, we should."  Candace responded.  She turned to look out the window.  "Oh, the sun's rising already..."  
  
The two redheads looked at each other and laughed, a laugh said that things were soon going to be looking up for them.  
***  
  
Ava walked through downtown in the early morning light.  She snuck out while Vince and Misti were asleep, to not see them and be interrogated about what had happened that night.  She had also placed all her Stories in a shield, so that nobody could read them again.  
  
She was still quite upset over what they had done, after all.  
  
Ava looked up at the sky and saw that it wasn't pure blue, as she thought it was, but actually turning a dark purple color, with a black storm cloud circling around the center of downtown, directly over the mall.  The air was filled the scent of darkness, and that scent was growing stronger with each passing minute.  
  
Within about half an hour, people were already looking up at the sky, wondering what was going on.  Ava was already well on her way to the boys' house when a portal opened up in front of her and Le stepped out, wielding a sword.  
  
"What is this?"  He asked, gesturing to the cloud that still growing bigger.  
  
"I just saw it myself."  Ava explained.  "This isn't any magic I know of!"  
  
"Aeor did say that he felt something different in the air yesterday."  Le replied.  "Perhaps this was it.  By the way, have you seen the major?  She said she was going to take drastic measures, or something to that effect..."  
  
"Why would you even think I would know where the major is?"  Ava snapped.  "She just wants to take me back under her control."  
  
"And why, I wonder?"  Le replied, walking around the Storyteller.  "You're far too much of a problem to keep caged, and when you're not caged, you think of ways to actively sabotage us.  If she really hated you that much, she would've killed you already."  
  
"Thank you so much for the lovely compliments."  Ava said sarcastically, flipping her hair back slightly.  "Now get to the point, Le."  
  
"You were tasked to do something to one of the children."  Le explained.  "We were never told exactly what it was.  Whatever it is, she must need you to undo it, or to progress it even further.  So, my question is, we know it's memory manipulation, but just what are changing to cause her do this?"


	16. Chapter 15:  Storm Clouds

Emily woke up to the sound of her father pounding on the door so hard she thought it was suddenly going to break off the hinges.  
  
"I'm up, I'm up!"  She shouted.  "Dad, do you have to always knock so loudly?"  She opened the curtains and gasped.  
  
Thick purple clouds streaked the sky, which was turning scarlet red.  Everybody was in the streets, taking pictures and videos with their phones, talking in hushed voices.  
  
"The sky's becoming filled with darkness..."  Emily whispered, and closed her curtains to get dressed.  She needed to tell Phineas and Ferb about this, and right away.  
***  
  
Baljeet was a blind panic, monitoring machines and weather satellites, trying to figure out he reason for the strange purple and red sky.  
  
"Why doesn't anybody know what's going on?"  He screamed, opening several tabs on his computer.  "Oh, this is only in Danville, okay...  But WHY?!"  He closed some of the tabs and began typing furiously.  He turned on a voice recorder nearby.  "This is Baljeet Tjinder, I have seen some kind of strange phenomenon in the sky.  The sky itself is turning red, while purple storm clouds are forming around, and covering said red sky.  This is only happening in the city of Danville, located in the Tri-State Area of--"  
  
"Hey, nerd."  Buford said, walking in.  
  
"Buford, why are you acting so calmly?"  Baljeet asked as he started monitoring some other machines.  "And on top of that, what are you doing in my lab?"  
  
"I thought this was your room."  Buford replied.  
  
"It _is_ my room, but at the moment, it is my lab, and is being used to monitor a potential apocalyptic situation in Danville!"  The stressed nerd explained, running around again to monitor a few more weather satellites.  
  
Buford blinked in confusion.  
  
"This could be the end of Danville as we know it."  Baljeet said calmly.  "And I'm going to figure out and end this, before it ends us!"  
  
"I was just thinking it was of Phineas and Ferb's inventions gone horribly wrong."  Buford said.  "There's this really weird smell outside.  Like, ink, except...tinged with something else."  
  
"I honestly doubt Phineas and Ferb would make something that could backfire at such a large scale."  Baljeet said, getting up.  "But, they should know what's happening.  Hopefully.  We need to get to the backyard right now!"  
  
As the pair left the house to get their bikes, a motor scooter sped past them, the rider coughing slightly.  
  
"That girl on the moped..."  Baljeet said.  "Was that...Emily?  Did she cut her hair?"  
  
"It looked darker, too."  Buford added.  "Whatever.  Maybe this thing's causing us to see hallucinations or something.  It's possible, right?"  
  
Meanwhile, Emily, slowly turning into her Despair Forme, was hoping the two didn't recognize her.  The darkness was already getting to her, and the condition of the sky was getting a lot worse.  
  
She needed to hurry.  She knew it was only going to get a lot worse the more time they wasted.  
***  
  
By the time Ferb woke up, the sky was completely covered in purple and black clouds, with strange pulsing going through it.  Emily nearly crashed into the Flynn-Fletcher's car as she stopped her moped in front of the door and ran in, completely in her Despair Forme.  
  
"Woah, Emily!"  Candace cried out as the girl nearly fainted, but managed to regain her composure long enough to collapse into a chair.  "What happened to you?  You're really pale..."  
  
"All this darkness..."  She managed to say, coughing.  "It's really taking a toll on me.  I don't even how Isabella's doing in this...her heart's mostly light, after all..."  She let out another bout of coughing, even harder this time.  
  
Just as she said that, Isabella ran in, tying her bow in her hair.  "You guys, what's going on?  There's darkness everywhere now..."  She saw Emily, slouched onto the table.  "Emily, are you alright?"  
  
"I...I'll be fine."  She said faintly.  "You and the boys need to go and vanquish this darkness...  Go ahead without me."  
  
"No, we're not leaving you behind."  Isabella protested.  "Besides, you can probably sense where the darkness is coming from, right?"  Emily nodded.  "See?  Without you, we'd be completely lost!  Your heart's letting in more darkness because you keep thinking you're useless!  You're not useless, Emily.  If anything, you're probably one of the strongest one of us here."  
  
"But, I keep endangering you guys..."  Emily whimpered.  She coughed again.  "Besides, I don't even have a heart...."  
  
Isabella held Emily tight, knowing words weren't going to change her mind.  A strong glow emitted from her, and Emily was back in her normal form again.  
  
"I...I feel lighter...."  Emily said.  "Isabella, what did you do?"  
  
"I gave you light, to counter balance the darkness."  She explained.  "You were always putting yourself down, to make us feel as if you weren't special.  We appreciate the thought, but don't let your heart be filled with so much darkness, okay?  You could've destroyed yourself like that."  
  
"Thank you so much, Isabella."  Emily said.  She turned to Candace.  "Candace, you have a power hidden deep away inside you, too.  That's why you have that armband, right?  You weren't phased by what just happened, and I could sense something in your aura for a long time now."  
  
"So?"  Candace asked.  "What do you want me to do about it?"  
  
Isabella held out her hand.  "We're asking you to fight with us, Candace.  Let us vanquish this darkness, together!"  
  
Phineas and Ferb came from upstairs, riding the bannister and Ferb catching them with wind and drifting them to the ground gently.  
  
"So, are we going to go fight this thing, then?"  Phineas asked, joining the girls.  "If we are, then I'd say there's no time like the present, huh?"  
  
"I agree."  Emily said, putting her hand out, palm down.  Phineas covered hers, as did Ferb and Isabella.  
  
"Oh, what the heck?"  Candace said, and put her hand on top of theirs.  "I'm supposed to be protecting you, so I might as well join in.  Emily, you can sense the darkness' source, so you lead the way."  
  
Emily nodded.  "Right."  
  
With that, they left, Emily leading the way on her moped, and the others following close behind on their bikes.  
  
They knew that they could defeat the darkness.  
  
They had no choice but to, after all.


	17. Chapter 16:  The Door

**Several years before...**

***

She looked down at the war from the safety of the hill, then joined the others further down on the other side.  
  
"You were right, Fira."  She said to the eldest, a teenage boy only slightly taller than her.  His blazing orange hair glistened in the fading sunlight, being obscured by the growing gray clouds stirring in the air.  "The war is getting worse.  Aero, you lead Light away from here and keep her safe.  We'll end this on our own."  
  
Aero, a tall teenager with long gray hair, frowned.  "Thundais, are you sure?  You and Fira...you may be the strongest out of the five of us, but we'd do better if we stay together."  
  
Thundais moved her short cobalt blue hair out of her face slightly.  "I'm sure.  Just remember to keep Light safe.  Since Dark is still fighting, it's important to keep Light out of there.  Fira, let's go."  
  
Aero nodded slightly and gently lead Light, a comely teenage girl, the youngest, with long pure white hair, away from the group, both pulling the hoods on the black cloaks they were wearing over their heads.  
  
"Thundais, there's somewhere I want to go first."  Fira said.  "Come on, it won't take long."  
***  
  
"How long has it been since we've been in this old cave?"  Thundais asked as she stepped into the cave.  It was covered in several drawings, made by scratching rocks against the surface.  
  
"Too long."  Fira replied.  He headed towards the deeper part of the cave, while Thundais hung back and looked at some of the old writings on the walls.  As she read some of them aloud, Fira found what he was looking for.  
  
"We've spent too much time here already."  Fira said, walking over to the exit.  "Come on."  
  
"You know, this might be the last time any of us ever sees this place again."  Thundais replied, looking up.  "Why are anxious now to leave?"  
  
"I just feel like we should hurry up and get moving."  Fira said, now outside the cave.  His voice echoed eerily about.  
  
"Go ahead without me, then.  I'll be there soon."  The girl said, kneeling down and picking up a sharp rock.  She started to make an outline of a door as she spoke.  
***  
  
" 'Open if you must, but beware the connections.' "  Five year-old Phineas read aloud.  The sounds of the beach echoed around the cave.  An old carving of a doorway stood before him, with a flame and lightning bolt above it.  "Well, what does that mean?"  
  
Isabella stood a little while away from him, looking at some writing on a wall.  "I don't know.  But, it's not a real door, right?"  
  
"It is a real door."  A voice said from deep within the cave.  Both kids jumped at the sound of another person with them.  "It is the door to this world.  And one day it will open, and this world will be thrown into darkness.  Just like the rest.  Just like this one all those years ago."  
  
"Wh-who are you?"  Phineas asked, pulling out a wooden sword from where he placed it in the ground.  "Show yourself right now!"  
  
"And what will you do if I don't?"  The voice asked.  Phineas lowered his sword slightly.  
  
"Phineas, let's just go."  Isabella said.  "We don't need a weirdo voice talking to us."  
  
"Remember, this door will open one day."  The voice continued.  "And when it does, this world will be consumed by everlasting darkness..."  
***  
  
Ten year-old Phineas Flynn walked through the cave, looking at the ancient markings on the wall.  He then came to the drawing of the door and lightly tapped it.  To his surprise, the door actually opened, and a thin layer of purple smoke came from it.  He felt a strange surge through his body, and the flame at the top of the door started glowing.  
  
"The door has finally been opened."  A voice said from deep within the cave.  "The Elements are finally free.  This world has been exposed to the darkness, and will soon be engulfed within it..."  
  
"Phineas?"  Isabella said from outside the cave.  "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine."  The redhead replied.  The lightning bolt started glowing.  "You've stayed away from this cave ever since we were little kids, you know.  Why don't you come in?"  
  
"I've told you, I've had a bad feeling about that place for a while."  Isabella answered.  "Come on, you're going to miss all the beach fun!"  The door started glowing.  "Hurry up and join us already!"  
  
"Alright, I'm coming."  Phineas replied, and ran out of the cave.  The door became shrouded in a fine mist, and soon started to disappear...  
***  
  
Fira and Thundais ran down towards the warring soldiers, wielding their preferred weapons:  Fira with a sword made of flames, and Thundais with a bow and arrow, the arrows quivering with lightning.  
  
"Fira, distract the left flank."  Thundais said.  "I'll handle the other side."  Fira nodded and ran straight into the battlefield, slashing soldiers and burning others.  Thundais, meanwhile, shot her arrows into the other flank, electrifying them and sending shockwaves of energy into the others.  
  
"You know what?"  Fira asked, leaping to the side as a stray normal arrow whizzed by his head.  "This is taking a little too long.  Thundais, I have a solution to this end this war, but I need your help for it."  
  
"I'm up for a quick battle."  Thundais replied.  "Well, get up here.  Let's end this war once and for all!"  
  
Fira dodged a few more attacks and joined the girl on the hillside.  "We release this spell inside this bottle, and it can end for good."  
  
The two uncapped the bottle, and a thick series of clouds of purple and black smoke emitted into the air.  The stench of darkness filled the air, and it engulfed the pair.  Within minutes, the battle was over, everybody dead, except for Dark.  
  
Light and Aero ran over the hillside, shocked at what they were seeing.  
  
"They're being corrupted."  Light said, horrified.  "If we don't stop them, they'll destroy this entire world!"  
  
Aero nodded.  "I can create a door to block them from getting back inside this world.  If it opens again, their powers will be severely drained, so it will take them a while to get those powers to destroy the world and be noticed back."  He turned to what once was two of his closest friends.  "Fira, Thundais...I'm sorry for doing this..."  
  
The door was sealed shut, not being able to be opened again, until a reincarnation of those who survived the Elemental War, appeared and showed that they had enough strength in them to defeat the corrupted Fira and Thundais for good.  
  
Phineas Flynn was that reincarnation.


	18. Chapter 17:  Secrets

Ava stood on the guardrail of the highway overlooking the Googolplex Mall, silent, her black coat whipping around in the wind. Le was silent behind her.  
  
"I have to defeat this darkness." Ava said solemnly. "And if I have to do this by my hand, I will. But I have to defeat it, if I'm to protect this World."  
  
"You're protective of this place." Le remarked.  
  
"This was one of the first Worlds I was able to control." Ava explained. "I want to show her what I was able to do with it. I think she'd like it." Le was silent. "This World was very weak in the beginning, so she gave up on it after a while. But, I said to her, 'why don't you see what I can do with it, Mistress?' She told me it was a very weak World and that it would probably have to be destroyed and rebuilt, but I wanted to save it. I made this World stronger. So, I did what the Mistress told me to do, and rebuilt it. This World is now strong, because of me. I want to see her smiling face at the World I made..."  
  
"Ava!" A voice shouted from behind the two of them. Ava and Le turned around to see Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, Emily, and Candace riding towards them. It was Phineas who had spoken.  
  
"You guys shouldn't be here." Le said. A strong wind blew through the empty highway, causing them to almost fall. "Ava said she was going to do this on her own."  
  
"Are you insane?!" Isabella half-asked, half-shouted over the wind. The wind died down slightly. "Ava, you can't do this on your own. You'll get yourself killed! This darkness isn't like anything we've faced before. We need each other to do this."  
  
"You can barely control your powers." Ava said. "Besides, I've faced darkness like this before, in the form of my past demons. I'll be fine. I'm not letting you sacrifice yourselves for someone as pitiful as me."  
  
"Ava, please." Emily said, stepping forward. "If you die, it will be on all our hands. Let us help you."  
  
Ava looked conflicted, her gaze cast down.  
  
"I know you want to be brave, but this isn't the way to do it." Phineas added.  
  
"Why do you have to sound like _her_ so much?" Ava asked. She let out a short sigh and jumped off the guardrail. "Very well. But, know this. This is the point of no return for all of us. We're not backing down or retreating until we're either victorious or die."  
  
Five serious faces nodded back to her.  
  
"Le, you should come along, too." Ava said. He was the only one who hung back. "Come on. Your swordmanship could prove useful to us."  
  
Le nodded. "What do we need to do to get to the epicenter of this darkness?"  
  
"I'll lead us there." Emily replied. "Ferb could get us close to the cloud layer with a connected upward wind."  
  
"All the wind's going towards the epicenter." Ferb added.  
  
"So, some shields to protect us would be best, then." Le responded.  
  
"Yes." Phineas added. "I'm sensing two very large forms of darkness in the epicenter. They have to be the ones controlling it."  
  
"So, if we destroy those forms of darkness, they should disappear?" Candace asked.  
  
"That's typically how these ordeals work." Ava answered. "Let's hurry up and go already." She walked towards them, but stopped. "Oh, but first, this Forme wouldn't do well in this amount of darkness..." A flash of light emitted from her. " _Storyteller Forme_!"  
  
Ava's hair billowed around her as she began to change, her eyes glowing silver. Her clothes were different, as well, a black gothic styled lacey and layered form-fitting dress that reached the ground, an extremely high slit in the left side. The neckline reached her throat in a halter style, but the long bell sleeves started just above her elbows, not connected to the dress, and the bodice was backless. She was barefoot, with strange wrappings of what looked to be some sort of lace-based material around the front and heels of her feet, along with around her hands, connecting around her middle fingers and ending somewhere around her wrists. Her hair was still in her typical twintails, but now they had a slight curl to them, and flowed in the air serenely, glowing. She seemed a couple inches taller, too, and her face seemed slightly longer than how it previously was.  
  
"Shall we go?" Ava asked. Her voice was deeper, as well.  
  
"Y-yes." Candace replied, a little shocked. She looked much older than her previous Forme, it was a little intimidating.  
  
Ferb nodded, and enveloped them in a shield of wind, sending a drift to lift them into the mainstream. Emily took a deep breath and transitioned into her Hope Forme, her long white hair flowing around her. Ava summoned a single card and passed it to Isabella, who went into her transformation that she was in when she was fighting Emily's Anti Forme.  
  
Phineas began to look around at what everyone was doing. Ferb was concentrating on keeping the wind shield up, driving darkness away from it. For once, his younger brother looked weak and frail, his powers taking a toll on his energy.  
  
Candace was looking down, fiddling with her hair, her armband glowing, a strange pattern showing itself in cyan.  
  
Le was looking at something far off in the distance, not focused on anything in particular.  
  
Emily seemed to be the only one of them facing their battle destination, a sort of determination gleaming in her now rose pink eyes.  
  
"We'll be fine." Isabella whispered, mostly to herself. Phineas looked at her. There was some otherworldly air about her, with her eyes shut tightly and her hands clasped together, held tightly to her chest. "We'll come back victorious, all of us..." Her voice seemed to crack a bit.  
  
Ava was kneeling, her fingers pointing down in a triangle, with her fingers pointing up and touching. Her eyes were closed, her hair flowing in what seemed to be a pulsing rhythm, mouthing something Phineas couldn't read.  
  
"She's summoning power from the other Worlds under her control." Le explained as he saw the young boy's expression.  
  
"Ava's powers really like one of a god's, then..." Phineas mused. "I know she said she wasn't one, but it really seems like she is a god, after all."  
  
"She's not, but the Mistress she works for is." Le said. "Or, at least, she used to work for that Mistress."  
  
"Did Ava rebel?" Candace asked, walking over.  
  
"No, the Mistress fell." Le answered shortly. "The god that tired of being god. That's how Ava describes the Mistress."  
  
"But, couldn't someone ascend and take the Mistress' position?" Candace replied.  
  
"Oh, don't worry. The Legion is still intact, meaning the Mistress isn't gone." Le said. "We've learned to survive in a godless place. Maybe that's why I find Earth and human species so interesting...you hold on to your gods, fearing the day when they no longer are there." He looked upwards. "Speaking of which, if you pray, do it now. We're nearly to the epicenter."  
  
Phineas nodded, having sensed the growing darkness the whole way. That was when the wind shield fell apart, the seven of them getting caught by the slipstream's momentum for a split second, then falling rapidly. Ferb was unconscious, the rapid shattering taking the rest of his energy out of him. Isabella and Emily, who were next to each other in the shield, grabbed each other's arms, but Isabella's hand slipped and they were separated from each other, Isabella screaming and Emily looking on silently in terror as they were blown away in different directions.  
  
Candace held onto Phineas tight, while Le summoned a portal he fell into, the portal disappearing after he went through. Ava shouted a spell, then let out a pained shriek as a pair of pitch black wings grew out of her back. She looked back at Phineas, Ferb, and Candace, then flew upwards towards the epicenter.  
  
Candace touched her armband, and summoned from it a ribbon of light. She threw it at Ava's wrist, which it wrapped around. Ava began screaming again, clawing at the ribbon in desperation. She finally managed to untie the ribbon, a prominent burn mark on her wrist. She looked down at the two redheads again, who both had a mixture of shock and horror on their faces. With tears in her eyes, Ava nursed her burned wrist, slowly starting to heal it, and began flying again. Candace stared as both of them drifted apart in separate directions, her arm still outstretched and holding the ribbon.  
  
Phineas had suspected Ava of being a part of the light, and had hoped that she could bring him back onto that path again.  
  
He was wrong.  
  
So horribly wrong.  
  
He closed his eyes as he and Candace continued falling, pulling the two of them to face downwards.  
  
This was their fate, he knew.  
  
Nothing good came out of being an Element, only tragedy and heartbreak.  
  
All of this, he knew to be true...


End file.
